Everyone Was Wrong
by Joelle8
Summary: Sirius Black thought he knew everything about his arch nemesis, Sasha Berg. He was wrong. And as he discovers just how terribly wrong he is, he also learns that love and hate aren't nearly as different as they seem. SBOC JPLE RLMM OCOC & very slight PPOC.
1. Prologue

Everyone Was Wrong

Prologue

It was well known throughout Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry that Lily Evans loathed James Potter as much as he adored her: as in, too much to be put into words. However, despite popular belief, Lily's hatred was not the biggest in the school; rather, it was the hatred her best friend, Sasha Berg, held for James Potter's best friend, Sirius Black- a feeling that Sirius gladly returned- that took the cake.

Sasha Berg was a most interesting person. She lived a lucky life, with loving family and friends, more than enough money; she had even been gifted with stunning looks and astonishing brains. Most would say that Sasha's life was as perfect as could be.

But there was much more to Sasha than this- much, much more. After all, why else would Sasha only speak of her father- never any other family, anyone, whatsoever- and be so _uncommonly _close to him? Why else would Sasha never once lose a duel or fight, no matter who her opponent was, and always be the first student in class to do a spell properly? Why else would she secretly meet with Professor Dumbledore for an hour every Thursday evening?

Her friends never noticed any of these things. Though they were all sweethearts, they could be very ignorant without meaning to be. This was a fortunate for Sasha; she had no desire to tell anyone her secrets, having very good reason to keep them secrets. Only one person noticed the strange ways of Sasha, and Sirius Black, blinded by hatred for the girl, had no desire to pursue them; instead, he just excused her strange behavior as even more reason to hate her. At least, that was his approach until a rather strange History of Magic lesson…

Yes, everyone _thought _they knew Sasha Berg; and some almost did. Almost. But everyone was wrong.

And when people began discovering this, it changed everything.

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_**First things first, I've already written the story, so updates should be weekly at least. Second, what do you think? Should I continue this? Please tell me in a review!**_

**_-Joelle8_**


	2. In Which They're Back

In Which They're Back

Sasha Berg hugged her father tightly, a tear trickling down her cheek. No matter how much she loved Hogwarts, leaving her father each time would always be difficult for her; even at the mature age of 16 she was now.

"Shh, it's okay, Sashi," her father soothed her, petting down her hair. She couldn't help smiling a bit; her pet name had always been "Sashi" for her father, and if anyone else called her that, she'd hex them into oblivion.

"I'm gonna miss you, Daddy," Sasha said, releasing her father from her suffocating squeeze (she was a very strong teenager) and wiping the tears from her eyes.

"I'll miss you too, Sashi, but don't you worry; I'll write to you every week, and before you know it, it'll be Christmas break," he assured her. Kissing her forehead, he continued, "You should probably get on the train now and find yourself a compartment; I know from personal experience how crowded they are. Besides, the train leaves in a few minutes."

"Okay, Daddy," Sasha agreed. "I love you." She squeezed him once more.

"I love you too, Sashi," her father squeezed her back, just as tight. "Now go on; you don't want to get stuck with that Black on the train, do you?"

Sasha shuddered at the mere thought of having to see her arch nemesis again. Mr. Berg laughed at his daughter's actions. "You have a point," Sasha told her father quite seriously, still grimacing at the thought.

"I know I do." The train whistle sounded, causing Sasha's father to further mutter, "So much for getting you on the train early," while picking up his daughter's trunk and lifting it onto the train easily. Sasha followed the bag, smiling at her father's actions.

Sasha and her father hugged one last time and she kissed his cheek before Mr. Berg had to get off the train. Quickly, Sasha made her way to the nearest compartment and rushed in, not bothering to see who was in it, opening the window and yelling, "Bye, Daddy! I love you!" out of it.

"Bye, Sashi! Love you, too!" her father yelled back. Sasha waved to him until the Hogwarts' Express was completely out of Kings Cross Station. Then, forlorn once more, she stuck her head inside the train and closed the window, finally surveying the people whose compartment she had invaded.

"We were wondering when you'd notice us!" Sasha's best friend, Lily Evans, laughed. Sasha's other best friends- and roommates- Alice Prewett, Mary Macdonald, and Delilah McPhee laughed along with her.

Sasha instantly brightened at the sight of her friends. "Thank Merlin, it's you guys! I got lucky this time! I was so worried I'd accidentally pick the Marauders' compartment, like I did back in second year, that was murder…" Sasha trailed off, hugging her four friends.

"Considering your hate/hate relationship with Black, I don't doubt that one bit, Sasha, not one bit," Alice chortled.

"You've got that right!" Delilah agreed. "It's sort of ironic, though, since you're both Beaters on the Gryffindor Quidditch team," she mused thoughtfully. Sasha bit her lip to keep from chuckling; Delilah was a definite tomboy, not having much interest in boys, to the male students' dismay- Delilah was tall, with intense golden eyes and pin-straight shoulder-length chocolate-colored hair; all of which made her one of the prettier girls in school- and preferring boys' clothes as long as she could fit in them. Sometimes it seemed like all she could concentrate on was sports- and no, that didn't just include Quidditch. Delilah's father was a Muggle, and therefore she knew all about Muggle sports, too, so they were never left out of her conversations.

"Geez, can you focus on anything besides Quidditch?" Lily voiced Sasha's thoughts. Lily tended to speak her mind and never hesitated to use her exceedingly excellent brains and quick wit to her advantage. She was a total sweetheart, though (unless you were James Potter, in which case you were Public Enemy #1), and the kind of girl you couldn't help but like. Though most of Hogwarts' girls were jealous of her striking looks: red hair that wasn't quite orange, but wasn't auburn either, sparkling emerald green eyes, rosy cheeks, and a wide, warm smile.

"I highly doubt it, Lily; if she didn't, she wouldn't be our Delilah!" Alice exclaimed teasingly. Alice was the most girlish one of their group, paying attention to not only what she wore, but also to what all of her friends wore. She kept her bright blond hair in a stylish bob, and her electric blue eyes always had some sort of glint in them, eternally betraying her every emotion. Alice was also a highly skilled dueler and very gifted at Defense Against the Dark Arts- so much that she was practically as good as Sasha and Lily, if not better, and that was saying something! Sasha had no doubt that she'd be a fantastic Auror one day.

As Lily, Alice and Delilah argued about how Delilah should "start wearing more womanly clothes" and "showing off that figure; it makes guys stare for a reason!" (in the words of Alice), Sasha turned to Mary. She knew that with Mary, the quietest person she knew, you had to initiate the conversation most of the time; but once you got her talking, you had very pleasant discourse. Mary was about as kind-hearted as anyone could hope to get, wouldn't hurt a fly, and was always the best person to go to when you were upset and needed sympathy, someone to talk to, or just a shoulder to cry on. She had tight, Shirley Temple- style golden curls that she kept in a ponytail that created a puffball on the back of her head. On some people, glasses hid their eyes, but they just drew attention to Mary's inquisitive hazel ones.

"So, how was your summer, Pom-Pom?" Sasha asked, grinning.

"Fine, thanks. I went to visit my cousins in Paris, and tried escargot; it was actually very good. Oh, and Sasha, I tell you this every year, but _please _don't call me Pom-Pom! Where'd you get that name from, anyways?" Mary responded, trying to sound upset by the nickname, but failing miserably because she kept smiling.

"But, Pom-Pom, how can I not call you Pom-Pom when your curly hair makes such a fun pom-pom on the back of your head? It's only fitting!" Sasha protested playfully.

"Sasha, you are _not _allowed to tell me I have curly hair; it makes you downright hypocritical!" Mary scolded her friend.

"My hair is a different type of curly, Mary. My hair doesn't make a pom-pom when I put it in a ponytail!"

"How would we know? You've never put your hair in a ponytail before!" Alice interjected grumpily, joining the conversation.

_Oh boy, _Sasha groaned in her head, _here we go again. _Sasha had never once put her hair in a ponytail in front of her friends, truthfully claiming that she had done it once and it felt extremely uncomfortable, and she had no plans to do it again. However, Alice refused to let the subject drop, insisting that Sasha would look gorgeous if she actually did anything with her hair, instead of just leaving it down.

"I've told you this before, Alice," Sasha sighed. "I _have _put my hair in a ponytail before, and it didn't feel good at all, so I don't fancy putting it up again! Besides, I like having my hair down- it's warm, makes a great curtain, and it shows off my hair!" She felt that these were all valid arguments. Delilah seemed to think so, too.

"Come on, guys, just let her be. Does it really matter if she wears her hair up or not? Don't answer that," Delilah said, looking pointedly at Alice, who huffed and crossed her arms. "Sasha's hair looks good down, and after all, much as I hate to admit it, her hair _does _deserve to be shown off!" None of the girls could argue about this; Sasha's hair was quite a sight. Failing in long, delicate ringlets down to her waist (no, this is not an exaggeration- if Sasha really wanted to, she could sit on her hair, she'd done it before), the roots of Sasha's hair were jet black, but her hair color gradually morphed into a unique brick red at the ends. It was safe to say that the whole of Hogwarts' female population was jealous of Sasha's locks.

"Okay, fine, I'll drop it; for now," Alice gave in, sighing unhappily. "But marks my words, Sasha Berg, I _will _see you in a ponytail someday!"

Sasha, ignoring the threat, faced Delilah with joy. "Delilah, have I ever told you that I'm eternally grateful for your existence?"

"No, but it's good to know. And don't you think about hugging me, I'm not a huggy person."

"You don't have to tell me twice; I'm not a hugger either!" Sasha and Delilah had many things in common: besides their general dislike of hugs, neither paid attention to their clothes nor wore any make-up (with occasional, but very rare, exceptions), both played Quidditch (Delilah was a Chaser), and both detested anything falling under the categories of "pink", "fru-fru", or "lovey-dovey"; basically, anything that would fit in at Madam Puddifoot's. In fact, the only real reason that Delilah was considered the group's tomboy instead of Sasha was that she tended to act and dress more like a boy than her (truthfully, it's her parents' fault that Delilah was like this, for having seven sons along with her). Not to mention, they didn't mind being violent. At all. In fact, they rather enjoyed it; but, due to excessive prodding, both had sworn only to be truly violent with good reason, and in these cases, Sasha tended to do the worse damage magically, while Delilah excelled at physical pummeling.

"So, how were all of your summers?" Mary asked shyly, changing the topic.

"Great!" Alice replied happily. "I went to visit some distant relatives of mine in Florida, in America; the beaches there are fantastic! And don't get me started on the boys; though none of them were as good looking as Frank…" Alice sighed wistfully, now fully consumed in thoughts of her long-time crush, Frank Longbottom.

"Ooo-kaay," Lily said, obviously a bit weirded out by her friend's Frank-trance, "well, my summer was alright, I guess. Pretty normal, actually. Petunia still hates me, but she wasn't around that much; she got herself a new boyfriend, Vernon Something. He's a right walrus, he is!" All of Lily's friends smiled, pleased that she- for once- didn't have a summer horribly tainted by her ghastly sister.

"I went to every Holyhead Harpies game this summer!" Delilah proclaimed excitedly, drawing her friends' attentions to her. "They rock! I didn't do anything else remotely interesting, though."

"I guess it's my turn now!" Sasha practically bounced. "I stayed home all summer, just me and my dad. It was awesome! DEFINETELY one of the best summers ever!"

"Um, no offense, Sasha, but how is staying home with your dad fun?" Delilah asked skeptically.

"Easy; I barely had to get out of my PJ's all summer, and did all the relaxing and sleeping I wanted! And then, when I _did _wake up- which was usually around noon, by the way- me and my dad would cook extravagantly delicious breakfasts, play Quidditch in our backyard, listen and sing along to some good ol' Rock n Roll, read some good books over and over again-"

"Okay, we get it! You had a great summer!" Lily cut her off.

"Who had a great summer?" A new voice sounded from the door to the compartment.

Sasha turned towards the voice, smiling brightly. "Hiya, Brother!" she greeted. Remus Lupin was not, in fact, her brother, but they were close enough to be siblings, and considered themselves just that.

"Hello, Sis, Lily, Alice, Mary, and Delilah," Remus said with a wolfish grin. "What, no hug?" he teased, stretching out his arms.

"Only for you, Remmy, only for you," Sasha laughed, standing up and hugging her friend. "So, what brings you to our compartment? Besides seeing the awesomeness that is me, of course," Sasha joked, quirking an eyebrow.

"The Prefects meeting starts in a few minutes; I figured that I'd make sure Lily had remembered," Remus explained.

"Oh, right! Thanks, Remus, I forgot!" Lily jumped up. Her friends shook their heads, laughing quietly; among many other things, Lily was terminally scatterbrained. (Don't believe anyone who tells you she's "responsible"; they're lying.) "Come on," Lily gestured at Remus to come with her, walking out of the compartment.

"Well, I guess that's my cue. See you ladies at the feast!" Remus followed Lily out of the compartment, waving goodbye.

"Poor, poor Lily," Alice laughed, still shaking her head.

"Why poor Lily? What happened? Is she alright?" another new voice-this one anxious and concerned- asked from the doorway.

"Lily's perfectly fine, Potter, just her usual scatter brained self. Speaking of Lily, she's not here, so get lost," Delilah demanded, glaring at James Potter, who was standing in the doorway. Despite the both of them being Chasers, Delilah, along with the rest of the girls, found James Potter an annoying arse. Sasha gulped; everyone knew that wherever James was, Black wasn't far behind.

Specifically, Sirius Black, her arch nemesis since first year, when he had made fun of her crying about leaving her father. He had only gotten worse over the years, despite being the lone Gryffindor in his Slytherin family. It honestly didn't help that he was the best looking male in Hogwarts; in fact, he used this to his advantage, becoming an arrogant, conceited man whore. Sasha couldn't hate him more if she tried.

"Who said we were here to see Lily? We're looking for Remus." Sirius Black was standing next to his best friend in the door way now. _I knew it, _Sasha moaned in her head, and immediately laid her head on Mary's shoulder unhappily. Right on cue, Mary patted her head comfortingly. _Good old Mary. The girl's an angel, _Sasha thought.

"You get lost, too, Black. We don't care why you're here, we just know that you're here, and you weren't invited. Oh, and for your information, Remus isn't here; he went to the Prefects meeting with Lily," Delilah declared. Sirius ignored the tomboy and instead turned to Sasha, preparing to engage in his favorite activity: teasing her.

"I saw you on the platform, Berg. Still crying over leaving your daddy? How much more babyish can you get?" he sneered.

"Last time I checked, Black, loving your father and being close to him wasn't a bad thing," Sasha retorted sourly.

"You do realize, Berg, that you're _sixteen_, and you were _crying_. Over _leaving your dad_," Sirius pointed out. James snickered.

"At least my father loves me. Last time I checked, yours _hated _you, and so does your mum. Am I right, Black?" Sasha snapped. Sirius' fists clenched and he glared at her viciously, but said nothing. Sasha smirked. "That's right, I thought so."

"Who said I wanted them to like me? I hate them, too," Black said. "Oh, and next time you see your old man, tell him that he should really lay off the Cauldron Cakes. He's looking a bit like ol' Sluggy, if you know what I mean."

Sasha was on her feet, wand at his throat, in an instant. Though she had a temper a thousand times worse than even Lily's infamous redhead temper (not that most people knew it, of course), she rarely let herself involve magic in an argument, preferring to not waste her energy. But she wouldn't let Black so blatantly insult her father- doing so crossed the line. "If you value your life, Black," she growled, eyes narrowed threateningly, "then you _will not _insult my father."

"Oh, and why not? Last time I checked, I could say whatever I wanted," Sirius raised an eyebrow, but didn't manage to hide the fear in his eyes. Still, he added, "Besides, what's so bad about telling the truth?"

"You have no right to insult my father, Black," Sasha growled, digging her wand a little deeper into his throat. "He's a greater man than you could ever hope to be."

"Well," Sirius said, "if by 'great', you mean in the sense of size, I guess you're right." Sasha stared in outrage, all of her features oozing hatred.

Sensing trouble, Delilah, using her quick Chaser reflexes, snatched Sasha's wand from her hand before she could give Sirius reason to be sent to the Hospital Wing. "Calm down, Sasha," Mary ordered quietly, but firmly, as Delilah sat down with Sasha's wand in hand. "He's not worth it."

Sasha took a few deep breaths, and, still glaring at Sirius, said, "You're right, Mary," before sitting back down.

"I knew you were too scared to do anything to me, Berg," Sirius smirked, though he clearly didn't believe a word coming out of his mouth. James pushed his best friend out of the compartment before Sasha could get her wand back from Delilah.

"Well… erm… I suppose I'll just… go now…" James said awkwardly, before following his fellow Marauder.

"Coward," Sasha grumbled, laying her head on Mary's shoulder once more. Just as she had before, Mary stroked her hair comfortingly, in a rather maternal manner. Delilah rolled her eyes and took out her favorite book, Quidditch Through The Ages, and began to read it for the two millionth time, and Alice took out some nail polish and proceeded to color her nails.

When Lily came back from the Prefects' meeting, she found her friends in this same state. Not even needing to ask what had happened- Alice's eyes told her everything- she sat down and began conversing with Alice and Mary. Delilah joined in eventually, as did Sasha, once she was done dreaming about various ways to give Black a cruel and painful death.

* * *

_**Thanks for all the response to the prologue! Please keep it up- I won't update unless I get at least three reviews, per chapter!**_

**_Speaking of updating, since I already have this written, I figure, why not post two chapters at a time every so often? Well, this is one of those times. Hope you like this chapter, and the next!_**

**_-Joelle8_**


	3. In Which Sasha Doesn't Bitch Slap

In Which Sasha Doesn't Bitch Slap

Sasha wolfed down her food, unbelievably hungry. It was the morning of her first full day of her Sixth Year at Hogwarts, and her friends were currently were eyeing her in mild revulsion.

"Sasha, _how _do you _eat _like that?!" Alice asked, staring at the three pancakes Sasha was currently stuffing into her mouth- yes, at once.

"Here's a better question," Lily added, her face contorted into the same expression as Alice's was. "How do you eat like that, and still manage to keep a perfect figure?"

A few minutes later, once Sasha had finished chewing and swallowing, she answered her friends. "As to how I eat like this, I have a huge mouth; it's much bigger than the usual mouth, I looked it up. As to how I keep my perfect figure, I have an awesome metabolism. The curves are just natural, though," Sasha smirked.

"Well, it sucks," Delilah commented sourly. "It's unfair that some people"- she looked pointedly at Sasha, who smiled smugly- "are naturally skinny, when some people have to work out and watch what they eat to stay fit, and are _still_ fatter than them!"

"You mean, like you?" Mary asked suddenly, faking innocence, smirking almost unnoticeably. Sasha, Lily, Alice and Delilah stared at her for a moment before bursting out laughing. It was very rare when Mary teased anyone, even playfully, so when she did, it tended to seem hilarious. Pretty soon, the whole Gryffindor House, and many students from the other Houses, was staring at the girls in mild interest and confusion as to what was so funny, excluding the Marauders, who were staring at them with blatant amusement.

"Ahem," a stern voice coughed from behind the girls. They turned around and saw none other than the notoriously strict Professor McGonagall, Transfiguration teacher and Head of Gryffindor House. The four girls gulped, and immediately stifled their laughter. "Now, then, if you are done with that, I have your schedules for you," Professor McGonagall said. Lily and Mary's eyes instantly lit up, and it was all Alice, Sasha and Delilah could do to not roll their eyes. "Here is yours, Miss Evans; yours, Miss Macdonald; Miss McPhee, here you go, and here's yours, Miss Prewett. Let's see, where did I put yours, Miss Berg… ah, here you go." The Transfiguration teacher handed each girl their schedule in turn.

"Thank you, Professor!" Lily exclaimed, always the polite one.

"You're very welcome, Miss Evans. I'll see you five in class," Professor McGonagall nodded curtly before continuing on her way.

"Well, what are we waiting for? Let's see what we have!" Lily exclaimed, tearing hers open. Her friends followed suit, and laid their schedules next to each other. To their delight, they all matched almost perfectly:

**History of Magic, Professor Binns, with Slytherins, 8:00-8:55**

**Transfiguration, Professor McGonagall, with Ravenclaws, 9:00-9:55**

**Defense Against the Dark Arts, Professor Adams, with Slytherins, 10:00-10:55**

**Charms, Professor Flitwick, with Hufflepuff, 11:00-11:55**

**Lunch, Great Hall, 12:00-12:55**

**Herbology, Professor Sprout, with Ravenclaws, 1:00-1:55**

**Potions, Professor Slughorn, with Slytherins, 2:00-2:55**

**Ancient Runes, Professor Babbling, with Hufflepuff, 3:00-3:55 **(In this time slot, only Lily's schedule read this; Mary was taking Arithmancy with the Ravenclaws, Alice was taking Divination with the Hufflepuffs- but only because it was an easy "O" for her, Delilah was taking Care of Magical Creatures with the Slytherins, and Sasha was taking Muggle Studies with the Ravenclaws. The girls were all so different that when they had chosen their electives without consulting each other, they had all chosen differently. But none of them regretted it; they all enjoyed the classes they had chosen.)

**ONLY ON MONDAYS AND THURSDAYS: Astronomy, Professor Sinistra, with Ravenclaws, 12:00-12:55 AM**

"Hallelujah!" Alice exclaimed. "We have all our classes together!" The perky girl proceeded to do her infamous happy dance, which involved her dancing on top of the table and through the food, among many other things.

"HEY! Don't hurt the fried chicken!" Sasha cried out urgently, just as Alice was about to do her happy dance near the platter of said food. Alice stopped mid-dance before bursting out laughing. Lily, Mary, Delilah, and even Sasha joined her.

"So, ladies, what's so funny? You seem to be laughing a lot today," Remus plopped down next to Sasha.

"Well, the first time, _Mary _teased _Delilah_…" Sasha began.

"…And the last time, Sasha attempted to save her dearly beloved from Alice's killer happy dance," Delilah finished, her face perfectly serious.

"Oh? And what was Sasha's 'dearly beloved' this time, I might ask?" Remus chuckled.

"The fried chicken," Lily, Mary, Alice and Delilah answered in unison.

"It's tasty!" Sasha defended herself. She checked her wristwatch, and then cried out, "Shoot! We're supposed to be in class in ten minutes!" The girls immediately ran from the Great Hall, yelling their "Goodbye"s to Remus as they went.

Still chuckling to himself, Remus continued sitting there and ate the girls' food for an estimated time of about thirty seconds- that is, until he realized he only had ten minutes until classes started, too. Quick as a whip, he rushed over to his fellow Marauders, pulled them out of their seats with a hurried, "Class!" and the foursome ran out the doors.

To the girls' horrors- Lily and Sasha especially- they not only had all of their classes with each other, but also with the Marauders. They had survived the day so far, but now they were in Potions with the Slytherins; and old Professor Slughorn, well-meaning as he was, never could seem to tell when to people disliked each other, even when the cases were as obvious as with Lily and James, or Sasha and Sirius.

"Oho!" The portly Professor Slughorn exclaimed, his arms spread open wide in what looked like it was supposed to be a welcoming gesture. "Welcome to Sixth Year Potions! Now, I already have your seating arranged, so don't bother arguing with me! Now, let's see… Miss Berg and Mister Black, please move to that back table!" Both Sasha and Sirius visibly grimaced, and reluctantly moved to their allotted table. Upon getting there, they automatically moved their chairs as far away from the other as possible, glaring ferociously at each other all the while, their mutual loathing creating a thick tension in the air between them.

So immersed she was with her stormy thoughts, Sasha only heard the seating arrangements of her friends. Alice was sitting with Frank (Alice looked blissfully happy as Frank chattered), Lily had to sit with James (James looked as if he was in heaven, while Lily was scowling. _At least I'm not the only one who has to sit with my arch nemesis, _Sasha noted with grim satisfaction), Mary was sitting with Remus, and the two were talking quietly, and Delilah was sitting with Peter, who looked rather terrified of the fierce-looking tomboy.

"Now that you're all settled, I'd like you to make the Potion you see on the board," Slughorn instructed, tapping the board behind him. "You're to make a simple Calming Draught- and if you do well on it, and I deem it safe, you will be allowed to keep it! The directions are in your textbook, on page 187, and on the board. Get started!"

Sasha turned to Sirius briefly. "You get the ingredients, I make the potion, got it? That way, we'll have as little interaction as possible." Sirius nodded his consent and went to get the ingredients.

Surprisingly enough, Potions class went relatively quietly, considering both Sasha and Sirius went about their own business without consulting each other at all- that is, until, James decided to ask Lily out, _again_.

"So, Evans… wanna go out with me?"

"Potter, how many times do I have to say this for your underdeveloped mind to comprehend it? N-O. That spells _no_," Lily glared ferociously.

"You know you love me, Evans. You're in denial," James insisted.

"In your dreams."

"Oh, I assure you, it is."

"Ugh! Why can't you just leave me alone, you arrogant toerag?" At this comment, Sirius jumped to his friend's defense.

"Hey! Don't call him that!" Sirius exclaimed, leaping to James' side.

"Why not? It's true!" Sasha walked over to her redheaded friend and stood next to her, crossing her arms, facing Sirius angrily.

"No it's not!"

"Yes it is!"

"No it's not!"

"Yes it is!"

"You don't know him half as well as I do, Berg!"

"You're right, I don't, but I _do_ know how he acts around the majority of the Hogwarts population, and around them, he acts like an arrogant toerag!"

"You think you know everything, don't you, Berg? You little know-it-all, you wish you were half as smart as you pretend to be!"

"I'm not a know-it-all! I work hard for my grades, for your information, and I still don't get such fantastic results!"

"Don't make me laugh. You're highest in the year! That's a sure sign that you're a know-it-all!"

"First of all, Lily's highest in the year, too. And Remus is tied with the both of us in a lot of subjects too, but you don't call _him _a know-it-all, do you, Black? No, you don't. Second, can't you accept that being smart is a good thing, Black? And that, because of that, some people actually _like _to be smart, and _try _to be smart? And that those smart people tend to get better scores? Just because you're so jealous that your grades aren't as good as mine-"

"Jealous? Of _you_? Ha, yeah right. Why would I be jealous of a know-it-all crybaby bitch?"

"You _bastard_!" Sasha cried out, outraged.

"What are you gonna do, Berg? Bitch-slap me?" Sirius taunted.

For a moment, there was complete, tense silence. The class was watching the pair with fascinated anticipation, not daring to even whisper bets on what Sasha would do to their classmate beside them. Finally, completely emotionless except for the anger radiating off of her, Sasha coolly stated, "I don't bitch-slap," before giving Sirius a solid punch in his left eye.

At this point, Slughorn finally noticed the fight. "Miss Berg!" He exclaimed in shock. "I'm surprised at you! You're one of my best students!"

"I'd say sorry, Professor, but I'd be lying," was all Sasha told him reply.

"Detention on Saturday, at eight o' clock. You as well, Mister Black- you had just as much part in this argument as Miss Berg did." Sirius, clutching his eye in pain and cursing a stream of profanities under his breath, and Sasha both glared at the Potions Professor. Not seeming to notice this, or just choosing to ignore it, Slughorn continued, "Mister Potter, please escort your friend to the Hospital Wing. Class dismissed."

The class left in a hurry. Remus and Peter ran to join James and Sirius, Remus flashing Sasha a look that said "You won," along the way, and Sasha's friends gathered around her. "You shouldn't have done that, you know," Mary chided gently.

"I know. But it was worth it," Sasha grinned, smug. She had made her message clear; a message that she had told her friends many times, and was about to tell them again: "Nobody messes with Sasha Berg and gets away with it."

"I think we all know that, Sasha," Delilah laughed.

"You've got _that _right," Alice laughed. "Off to Divination!"

"To Ancient Runes!" Lily exclaimed.

"To Care of Magical Creatures!" Delilah followed, pumping her fist in the air.

"Arithmancy," Mary said, much quieter than her friends.

"And we can't forget the awesome Muggle Studies, can we?" Sasha followed Delilah's lead and pumped her fist in the air as well. "Onward!"

"Onward!" Her friends repeated loudly, excluding Mary, before going their separate ways.

They really shouldn't have been surprised when their fellow students looked at them strangely. Then again, their fellow students should have been used to the girls' odd antics by then.

It wasn't like the girls tried to act normal, after all. All of them had been brought up taught not to act like something they weren't.

* * *

_**I hope you liked this! Please review- constructive criticism welcome!**_

**_-Joelle8_**


	4. In Which Dumbledore Knows Something

In Which Dumbledore Knows Something

"Ready, girls?" Lily asked, preparing herself for the inevitable. She, Alice, Mary and Delilah stood surrounding Sasha's bed in the Gryffindor Sixth Year Girl's Dormitory. All four of them had already gotten dressed, and were ready to go down to breakfast; now, they were just left with the most difficult task of all: waking Sasha up.

Sasha was known amongst her friends as a notoriously heavy sleeper; she could sleep through almost anything; an earthquake, a hurricane, screaming… all of this had been tested. The one thing that woke her up was four- at least- buckets of ice cold water dumped on her head each morning. Surprisingly enough, Sasha rather enjoyed this morning ritual; according to her, it "woke her up in an unusual, refreshing way". Besides, the fact that she could dry herself off with magic afterwards made everything all the simpler.

As you can imagine, Lily, Alice, Mary and Delilah were surrounding Sasha's bed with buckets of water in their hands. Though this grew tiresome sometimes, it did ensure that all of the girls were unusually strong for girls, and for their age, because water, in large amounts, is not light. "On three," Alice said.

"One…" Mary counted, "Two…"

"THREE!" Delilah yelled, dumping her bucket first. She liked this routine just as much as Sasha did. Alice, Mary and Lily followed their friend's example, and Sasha finally woke up.

"Good morning!" Sasha exclaimed brightly, hopping out of bed. "Thanks for that. What day is it today?" she asked randomly.

"Thursday," Mary, Lily, Alice and Delilah answered in unison.

"Oh, then: great morning!" Sasha bounced around the room, dressing into her clothes as she found them. Thursdays were her favorite days of the week, because of her lessons with Dumbledore; not that her friends knew about those, of course. They just assumed that Sasha had randomly picked Thursday to be her favorite day of the week.

"C'mon, Sasha, hurry up; we're hungry here!" Delilah moaned, rubbing her stomach in a rather mournful way.

"You guys go on without me; I'll be down in a minute," Sasha waved her friends away. They didn't protest, all four scampering out the door.

A few minutes later, Sasha was dressed and ready for the day. She perkily skipped down the stairs, smiling to herself…

…Only to have that smile wiped clean off her face at the sight of her three least favorite people.

_Aw, damn, they've got me unarmed! _Sasha swore in her head. _I could try to sneak around them… Maybe if I crawled behind the couch… _She planned in her head, but it was already too late: she had been spotted.

"Well, well, well, if it isn't Berg!" Sirius exclaimed. "I'm surprised, Berg; where are your little friends? I've never seen you without them before, and I was under the impression that you were rather… dependant on them." Clearly, this was meant to rile Sasha up, but her objective was to rile up Sirius, and she knew the best way to do this was to remain calm.

"In a way, Black, I do depend on them. I don't know what I'd do without my friends; life would be quite lonesome without them, don't you think?" Sasha answered coolly. "And for your information, I told them to go down to breakfast without me. I couldn't find my socks, and they were hungry. I would've thought you'd have seen them; they didn't come down that long ago. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm off to join them." She tried to maneuver her way around the boys, but Potter and Pettigrew blocked her path. Frustrated, but determined not to let it show, Sasha turned around and raised an eyebrow at Sirius. "Any particular reason _why _you're not letting me go, Black?"

"Just because I know it annoys you," Sirius replied, smirking.

"Well, could you let me go? I'm hungry."

"Not yet, Berg. You see, something fell out of your bag on the train, and I've forgotten to give it back to you until now…" Black trailed off before procuring something from behind his back. Sasha held in a gasp as she saw what it was: Boo-Boo, her stuffed lioness. It had been in her mother's family for generations, passed down through the women. Each woman had been allowed to name the lion what they wished, and Sasha, being a newborn when it had been passed down to her, had named it "Boo-Boo".

"Give that back," she ordered.

"Why should I? I'd rather know why you have a stuffed animal, Berg. Do you need it to sleep with at night? Oh, poor wittle baby Berg," Sirius mocked, waving Boo-Boo in the air.

"The lioness," Sasha said through gritted teeth, "was a gift when I was a baby, from my mum. Now, if you'd please give it back, I'll go, and not bother to speak to you until Potions."

"But I rather like this toy of yours, Berg," said Sirius, tossing the stuffed animal in the air and catching it as it came back down again. "No, I don't think I'll be giving it back to you any time soon."

Sasha sighed, sounding bored. Whipping out her wand, she pointed at Boo-Boo and said, "Accio Boo-Boo," under her breath, so the boys wouldn't know her toy's embarrassing name. The stuffed lioness flew to her open hand, and Sasha grinned smugly. Turning to face James and Peter, she demanded coolly, "Let me through now, or else I'll show you why I finished my Defense Against the Dark Arts O.W.L. in under twenty minutes and still got an O." Looking distinctly frightened, Peter stepped aside immediately, making a large enough space for Sasha to push her way through. "Tell Remus 'Hi,' for me, if you will, boys," she called out behind herself as she strutted through the portrait hole, feeling quite proud of herself.

"Damn," she heard Sirius growl behind her. She smirked, making her way down to breakfast, Boo-Boo in hand.

Besides her much-too-early encounter with Black, Sasha had a perfectly fine day. Even Potions was bearable, as Slughorn wanted the partners to try their hand at making potions by themselves for the day. There was, however, one incident that could not be overlooked:

_Sasha was bustling around the supply closet in the cold dungeon classroom when she felt someone tap her on the shoulder. Turning around, she grinned; it was Remus._

_"What's up, Bro?" She asked._

_"Did you have a row with Sirius this morning?" He asked, ignoring her greeting. "He's been glaring at you all morning, ever since breakfast."_

_"Yes, I did in fact," Sasha admitted. "He stole Boo-Boo, and wouldn't give her back." Remus was one of the few people who knew of her toy, and of how important it was to her._

_"Well, I guess you're justified," Remus grumbled. "I just don't understand how you two can fight so early in the day!"_

_"Four buckets of ice water," Sasha replied matter-of-factly. Remus chuckled._

_"But, Sasha… could you at least _try_ not to fight with him so much? He's one of my best friends, you know," Remus pleaded._

_Sasha sighed. Her almost-brother was way too good at the puppy eyes. "I _do_ try. Have you noticed that I don't always insult him back? That I very rarely _truly_ fight with him?"_

_"Don't make me laugh, Sasha; you know I'm not stupid enough to believe that. You and I both know that you only do that because you know it's what annoys him most."_

_"I prefer to call it… going along with things," Sasha contradicted._

_Remus sighed; he was getting nowhere with this girl. "You two… you're hopeless."_

_"Thanks!" Sasha smiled brightly, taking Remus' words as a compliment._

_"Berg! Lupin! Stop conversing over there and get back to your cauldrons!" Slughorn ordered from his desk at the front of the room._

_"Yes, Professor!" Sasha and Remus chorused in response. "See you," they said simultaneously, going back to their respective work stations. _

_"Well, well, well, flirting with Moony, were we, Berg?" Sirius teased as Sasha added ingredients to her potion. Sasha rolled her eyes._

_"Yeah, right. The whole school knows that Remmy and I have a strictly platonic relationship, and we think of each other as brother and sister. If you're going to tease me, Black, at least say something worth saying!"_

_"What's that supposed to mean?!" Sirius asked loudly, sounding a bit outraged._

_"It means, Black, that if you're going to tease me, then at least come up with sensible insults," Sasha explained as if she was speaking to a toddler._

_"Like you do any better, Berg!"_

_"I do, actually. Have you noticed that, whenever I insult you, they tend to have an element of truth to them? And when I don't insult you, I tend to be speaking the truth, or pointing things out that your ignorant little brain doesn't notice or comprehend, such as what I'm doing right now?"_

_"Why- you- Merlin, I hate you, Berg."_

_"Glad to know we feel the same way, Black," Sasha said brightly before turning back to her cauldron._

Besides that rather eventful conversation, as mentioned before, nothing else interesting happened. That was alright with Sasha, however, because she was heading to Dumbledore's office for her first lesson of the year, and she knew that it would make up for the dullness of the day.

"Cauldron Cakes," she spoke confidently to the eagle statue. It revealed the staircase to the Headmaster's office, and Sasha ran up excitedly.

"Come in," Professor Dumbledore said and Sasha knocked on the door. Sasha obediently opened the door and walked inside the familiar office, sitting down in a chair opposite Dumbledore at his desk.

"Good evening, Professor," she greeted politely.

"Good evening, Sasha. I trust your summer was well?" Dumbledore asked kindly, blue eyes twinkling.

"It was, Sir. How was yours, might I ask?"

"Very good, thank you. Now, shall we proceed with the lesson?" Sasha nodded enthusiastically, and Dumbledore chuckled. "My, aren't we eager?"

"Yes, we are," Sasha confirmed seriously. Dumbledore chuckled again.

"I was thinking that for tonight, we would review some of what I taught you in your First and Second Years; it recently occurred me that even though we've reviewed what you learned during your Third, Fourth and Fifth Years consistently, we very rarely review anything else. Shall we start with your nonverbal spells?" Dumbledore inquired.

"Sure," Sasha said. "Should I do them without movement or wandwork as well?"

"Yes, that would be best, I believe. We should review all we can."

"Fine by me. Which spells should I use?"

"Hmm… how about, a Stunning Spell, a Summoning Charm, and a Levitation Charm? You can practice on these toffees here," Dumbledore instructed, gesturing to a bowl of candy on the desk. Sasha nodded her agreement, and wordlessly levitated the bowl. She did this without moving the slightest bit; without even the twitch of a finger, wearing the mask of a poker face. "Good, good; now summon it," Dumbledore directed. Sasha did so, again, without a word or a wave of her wand. "Now, I want you to set the bowl down again, and Stun it," Dumbledore instructed again. Silently, the bowl was set down on the table once more- Sasha's mind, rather than a spell, directing where and how it moved. A mere second later, an invisible force pushed the bowl backwards forcefully, and it exploded, the smell of burnt toffees in the air; after all, that is what happens to an inanimate object when it is Stunned.

"How'd I do, Sir?" Sasha asked nervously.

"Perfectly, Miss Berg; though I will miss my toffees," Dumbledore complimented, blue eyes twinkling humorously. Sasha beamed. "Why don't you try doing the same thing, only this time, while talking with me? You can practice on the other bowl of toffees."

"Okay, Sir," Sasha spoke, glancing at the bowl Dumbledore had mentioned. "Well, over the summer, me and my dad played Quidditch a lot, and I improved my Seeker skills," as Sasha talked, the bowl rose into the air. "I still prefer to play Beater, though. My dad thinks that it's because he took me to a Boston Red Sox baseball game in America when I was four, and I saw all the players hitting the balls with those long bats of theirs." The bowl flew swiftly in the air until it was between Sasha and Dumbledore. "Then again, the Red Sox really aren't that good- my dad reckons they're cursed, or something- so I didn't see them hit the ball all that often. But, when some player _did _hit the ball, it was awesome to hear the crack of the bat hitting the ball, and watch the ball fly!" Sasha stepped to the side the slightest bit as the bowl rested on the table, before the bowl was propelled through the spot where Sasha had previously stood and exploded just before hitting the wall.

"Very good, Sasha; and quite an interesting story as well. I too have a fondness for American baseball," Dumbledore's eyes twinkled and Sasha grinned. "Now, how about you try your hand at Legilimency?"

Sasha took a deep breath; though she knew how useful Legilimency, the art of basically reading a person's mind, was, it had always been hard for her, and though she had finally mastered it at the end of Second Year- after starting it at the beginning of First- it was still rather difficult for her to do. Clearing her mind completely as if it was a blackboard, Sasha closed her eyes tightly, and taking a deep breath, delved into the depths of her Headmaster's mind.

At first, all she saw was darkness- that was her Professor blocking her entrance; then, after at least ten minutes of silent concentration and persistence, the darkness dissolved, and a scene formed. It looked to be a funeral; she saw a much, much, much younger version of Dumbledore dressed all in black, a few stray tears littering his face, having a heated argument with a shorter boy who looked nothing like him, save for the eyes that betrayed the fact that the two were brothers. The shorter boy had many more tears on his face, falling freely, and his face was red with anger. Before Sasha's eyes, the smaller boy punched the younger version of Albus Dumbledore's nose, effectively breaking it…

Sasha left her Headmaster's head. She had seen enough.

"Very good, Miss Berg," Dumbledore said quietly. "You are now officially quite a gifted Legilimens. However, I think that we should practice it more anyhow, as well as your skills in Occlumency."

"Thank you, Sir. What should we work on now?" Sasha asked, wanting desperately to change the topic and relieve the air of the newfound tension.

"I assume that you remember how to turn into your Animagus form, Sasha?" Dumbledore inquired.

"Of course, Sir," Sasha replied. "Turning into an animal never gets old! Can I do it? It's been ages since I've been able to, what with not wanting to get arrested to Underage Magic outside of Hogwarts and not having any time alone here."

"I was just about to request that very thing, Sasha," Dumbledore chortled, blue eyes twinkling, all signs of earlier tension gone. "I think that I'll have you turn into your Animagus form for me, and then let you go to bed. How does that sound?"

"Great, Professor. Should I transform now?" Sasha asked. She was met with a nod. Grinning madly, she squeezed her eyes shut and began her transformation.

Before anything else, a brick red tail sprouted from between her buttocks. Black fur grew up speedily around all parts of her body except for a brick red streak running from her nose all the way along the spinal arch in her back and ending where her tail began. Her mouth and nose lengthened into a muzzle with a dark, wet nose, and her ears turned, facing front, the triangular tip pointed upwards. Long claws and sharp fangs broke through, adding a rather menacing factor to Sasha's animal form. Lastly, her body widened with muscle just a bit more as she dropped to her hands and knees onto the ground.

Sasha Berg was gone. In front of Professor Dumbledore crouched a shaggy, black-and-red wolf.

"Excellent," Professor Dumbledore beamed. "Quite an impressive animal form, I must say, Miss Berg; despite your ancestry, I think that a wolf form fits you quite well. A wolf is extremely cunning, as well as quite stealthy, and, on occasion, even sly. I daresay you inherited those things in heaping portions from your father; you're quite like him, you know."

Slowly, Sasha turned back into her human form so she could answer. "I know I'm like Daddy; the Sorting Hat even told me. It almost Sorted me into Slytherin like him because of it!" she said once she was human and standing again. After a thoughtful moment, she told Dumbledore, "You know, it's weird how everyone thinks that Slytherin is the worst House, and that all Slytherins are evil. I mean, my dad's about as nice as a person could get; he doesn't even care about a person's blood, or if they're magical or not! He was just Sorted into Slytherin because he's cunning, sneaky, and ambitious, and those are Slytherin qualities."

"Yes, I remember your father as a student. He was quite a bright lad, you know; not unlike yourself. However, he didn't seem to have many friends, if you don't mind me saying."

"I don't mind; he told me already. The other Slytherins thought he was a blood traitor, because he and his family were purebloods that didn't care about other people's blood. And not many people from other people liked him because he was a Slytherin, and they have their damn stereotypes," Sasha explained.

"Language, Sasha," Dumbledore chided, blue eyes twinkling merrily.

"Sorry, Professor," Sasha mumbled. "Sir," she continued, "I have a question, about Animagi. It's just out of curiosity."

"Ask away, my dear."

"Well, I was reading this book that my dad got me for Christmas last year, called Animagi Forms and What They Mean, and I started reading about the wolf form. The book said that a wolf is the rarest Animagus form, since it's so closely related to a werewolf- in fact, there are usually only one or two people with a wolf Animagus form alive at a time, and that includes people who aren't even Animagi! But in Third Year, in Transfiguration, Professor McGonagall taught us that a person's soul mate generally has the same Animagus form or Patronus as them. Does that mean that I don't have a… 'perfect match', so to speak?" Sasha asked hurriedly, her words laced with worry.

"Everyone has a perfect match, Miss Berg," Dumbledore assured her. "A wolf is, indeed, a rare Animagus form. Many people have wondered the same question you just asked me. After much research, people have discovered that if a person is a wolf in Animagus form, this generally just means that they _would_ be a rather large dog- usually a reasonably shaggy mutt- if they weren't fiercer than one. A person's bravery, their opinion of violence, and various other factors such as this determine whether a person will be a dog or a wolf. You, Sasha, are extraordinarily brave- it's in your genes, after all, it's to be expected- much more so than most of your peers and fellow wizards, and don't have a problem with using violence when it's needed, and even when it's not. Therefore, you are a wolf."

"So, you're saying that my perfect match is someone whose Animagus or Partonus is a big, shaggy mutt?" Sasha clarified.

"Yes, that's exactly what I'm saying."

"Okay, that makes sense," Sasha spoke thoughtfully, "considering what you just told me. I had no idea about any of that stuff; the book didn't say anything of the sort!"

"I tend to know a bit more than books, occasionally," Dumbledore said, his tone cheerful. Sasha laughed out loud; her Headmaster was many things, but modest was _not _one of them.

"But, really, there can't be many dogs that are _specifically _shaggy, large, and probably mutts, can there?" Sasha questioned, one eyebrow quirked.

"Believe it or not, Miss Berg, but they're more common- and closer- than you think," Dumbledore replied mysteriously, blue eyes twinkling in a way that screamed, "I-know-something-you-don't-but-you're-going-to-have-to-figure-it-out-by-yourself-so-don't-even-bother-asking-about-it".

"Okay. Thanks, Professor," Sasha said, resigned to the fact that there was something Dumbledore wasn't telling her.

"You're very welcome, Miss Berg. Now, go on back to your dorm."

"Yes, Professor. See you next Thursday!" Sasha waved goodbye, prancing out of the door.

* * *

**_Thanks to everyone who reviewed! Hope you liked this chapter; please review and tell me your opinion- remember, I won't update again until I have at least three of them! _**

_**-Joelle8**_

**_P.S. For the record, the Red Sox are AWESOME! :-D Just saying. Also, I have some other stories, if you want to check them out! Go to my profile page for more details! Thanks!_**


	5. In Which Alice is Lovestruck

In Which Alice is Lovestruck

Alice bounced around the dormitory, humming under her breath. It was her annual ritual to, on every Saturday, do a thorough cleaning of the room, because, by every Saturday, the room would be in a state of great disarray. Sometimes, Lily or Mary would wake up and help her; but more often than not, they'd continue sleeping. They weren't "early birds", as Alice liked to call herself. But Alice was fine with this; she actually preferred cleaning by herself. It gave her a lot of time to think.

On this particular Saturday, Alice was thinking about Frank. Not that it was particularly unusual for her to be doing so- at all. Oh, how she loved him. She knew her friends thought it was just a childish crush of her, or an infatuation at most, but the truth was, Alice was head over heels in love with the Longbottom boy. Truth be told, he was not nearly as good looking as many boys in her year; but in Alice's opinion, he was the epitome of handsome. It helped that he was a kind, considerate, pleasant-to-talk-to gentleman.

Her joy of being partnered with him in Potions was indescribable. Especially when they chatted, and he opened up a bit from his quiet exterior and told her crazy stories about his loon of a mother, Augusta Longbottom. In return, she had told him about her cousin Molly, and how, even though she already had a couple of children, she was planning to have kid after kid after kid until she gave birth to the first female Weasley in generations. Frank's response to this was, "Arthur got himself a feisty one, eh?" to which Alice had laughed and Frank had blushed.

She supposed that she had really fallen for him at a party before fourth year. Both of them being purebloods with families that didn't give a damn if a person was pureblood, half-blood, Muggleborn or whatever the hell else, they ran in the same circles, and attended the same parties. Alice could remember it like it was yesterday…

_Alice was sipping her cup of punch by the drink bowl. She had nobody to dance with, as much as she would've liked to show off the way her flowing sapphire dress twirled when she danced. Sighing, she decided to go outside into the courtyard._

_Making her way to a bench outside, Alice heard talking, to her surprise. She had thought that everyone was inside at the party. Curious as a cat, Alice crept forward silently, and crouched behind a bush. Peering forward, she saw Frank Longbottom, a boy from her school, playing with a redheaded toddler that could only be one of Molly and Arthur's sons. They appeared to be playing Tag._

_"Aw, you got me, Bill!" Frank moaned, grinning, as the toddler poked him. It was obvious that Frank had let himself be caught; but he didn't need to let little Bill know this. _

_"You have to catch me now, Fwank!" Bill said, running away. Alice suppressed a chuckle at the toddler's inability to say Frank's name properly._

_"I'm gonna get you!" Frank called, following the little boy. He was pretending to run, Alice noticed, but was really just fast-walking._

_Suddenly, the little redhead tripped over a tree root and fell. Holding his knee, he started crying._

_"Bill, what's wrong? Where does it hurt?" Frank hurried over to the toddler, kneeling down next to him concernedly._

_"My- my knee! It hurts!" Bill wailed._

_"Shh, there, there," Frank smoothed the boy's hair back, pulling him into his lap. "It's just a scrape," he said, surveying the wound._

_"But it hurts!" Bill exclaimed._

_"I know it does, Bill, I know it does," Frank said. "Here, let's get you inside, okay? I'll take you to your Mummy," he offered. Bill only nodded. Frank heaved the toddler up so that the boy was sitting in the crook of his elbow. Holding on to the boy tightly, Frank jogged into the sea of people, looking for the boy's mother, and the courtyard was silent._

_Alice still sat there, her mind whirling after everything she had just seen. She knew Frank Longbottom vaguely from school, but they had never really talked that much. But what she had seen just now… he couldn't have been nicer to the little boy, Bill, and seemed to truly care for him. Nobody had asked him to play with the toddler, but he was anyways, and seemed to be having the time of his life in doing so. And when Bill had hurt himself, Frank had been very caring and mature, not caring that in sitting down, he sat in a puddle of mud and probably permanently ruined his dress robes._

_For the rest of the night, Alice kept sneaking glances at her fellow Gryffindor, and couldn't get him out of her head. When the rest of summer went by and Alice still couldn't get him out of her head, she came to the conclusion that she liked Frank. Over the years, after getting to know him better, she fell in love with him._

Looking around at the room, Alice smiled proudly at her work. She decided that now was as good a time as any to get herself some breakfast, so she dressed herself and pranced downstairs to the common room.

Reflecting back on how she fell in love with Frank, Alice inadvertently murmured to herself, "It really wasn't that hard."

"What wasn't that hard?" A voice spoke from the bottom of the boys' staircase. Alice gave a start; she hadn't expected to see _him _here…

"Oh, just- just cleaning my dorm," Alice stammered, turning to face the love of her life. Frank raised an eyebrow.

"Why, may I ask, were you cleaning your dorm?" he inquired, sounding a bit amused.

"The girls I live with are unable to keep the room clean for a week," Alice rolled her eyes, determined not to make a fool of herself, a feat that required that she act completely normal. "_Someone_ has to do it, and I just happen to be an early riser. I don't mind, though."

"I know what you mean," Frank sympathized. "I room with the Marauders; need I say more?"

Alice chuckled. "No, that's pretty self explanatory."

"Yeah, it is," Frank agreed. He continued, "But yours isn't. I mean, I can see Sasha and Delilah being a bit messy, but I've always seen Lily and Mary as the organized types."

Alice snorted. "Oh, please. Lily's the worst of them all; she's so scatterbrained, always placing things in random places and never remembering where. She tends to tear the room apart looking for them. Truthfully, Mary's the best of them besides me; it's really the clothes that are the problem. She can't keep a drawer neat for the life of her, sweet as she is. Delilah doesn't give a rat's arse what the room looks like, so she just throws her stuff all over the place, and Sasha's stuff is everywhere too, but somehow, the girl knows where everything is. She calls it her idea of 'organization'." _It's so easy for me to talk to him, _Alice thought happily. _As easy as it is for me to talk to any of the girls, in fact! _"It sure makes it harder for me to clean, though!"

"Who would've guessed?" Frank chortled, shaking his head in wonder.

"Yeah, I know, right?" Alice agreed, chuckling slightly.

"Hey… um… do you want to go get some breakfast?" Frank asked out of the blue, rubbing his arm nervously.

"Sure!" Alice accepted brightly. _Did he just ask me out? I think he did! YES! HALLELUJAH! _She celebrated internally.

"After you, m'lady," Frank joked, holding the portrait hole open for her. Alice blushed at his chivalry, and Frank, noticing this, beamed.

The two walked down to the Great Hall together, talking and joking happily, looking like a perfect couple for all of Hogwarts to see.

"Sasha, it's eight," Mary stated, looking at her friend pointedly. Sasha was currently perched in a chair in front of the fireplace in the common room, book in hand, enjoying the chill in the air the evening brought on.

"Your point, Pom-Pom?"

"It's Saturday, remember? You have detention with Black in Professor Slughorn's office for that little stunt you pulled the other day," Mary reminded her. Sasha jumped up quick as a whip.

"Shit! I'm gonna be late!" She exclaimed, running upstairs to put her book away and grab her wand. "Oh no… BLACK'S GONNA BEAT ME!" she realized with horror. Mary chuckled and shook her head.

"You know, if you paid more attention to the time, maybe wrote down what you had to do, this wouldn't happen," Mary chided. But Sasha was already gone.

"Nice of you to join us, Miss Berg," Slughorn greeted Sasha coldly as she rushed into the room. "You're fifteen minutes late, you know!"

"I know, Professor," Sasha panted. "I lost track of the time. My apologies."

"You apology is accepted, Miss Berg," Slughorn said. "Next time, however, please try to be more punctual, like Mister Black here; he was here exactly at eight o' clock!" Sirius smirked victoriously, and Sasha scowled at him. She knew she wouldn't hear the end of this any time soon.

"What's our assignment, Sir?" she asked, sitting down.

"Well, I noticed just this morning that my storage cabinets were rather messy, so I'll have you doing that. No magic allowed, so please hand over your wands," Slughorn instructed, holding out his hand. Sasha and Sirius obediently placed their wands in it, if rather reluctantly.

"Very good! I'll be back in an hour now, so get to work!" Slughorn directed, exiting the classroom and locking the door behind him.

"Let's just get to work, Black," Sasha grumbled, opening the storage cabinet. To her dismay, it was a total mess. _This'll take a looooong while, _she moaned in her head.

"Why should I do that, Berg?" Sirius asked, arms crossed, still sitting at a table stubbornly.

"Because it's _both_ of our detentions, you prat," Sasha rolled her eyes in annoyance. "I'm not going to do all the work!"

"Well, I'm sure as hell not gonna do any work! There's no teacher to force me to," he reasoned.

"Hate to break it to you, Black, but you _are _going to do some work; got it?" Sasha said.

"Who's gonna make me? _You? _Don't make me laugh," Sirius scoffed.

"Did you _like _having a black eye?" Sasha questioned. Sirius lost his cool posture for a moment, obviously remembering the pain he had recently been subject to courtesy of the girl in front of him, but quickly regained it.

"Actually, it was so painless that it just… slipped my mind," Sirius blatantly lied.

"Really?" Sasha quirked an eyebrow, not believing him for a second. "Because if I remember correctly, you were clutching it and moaning in pain as your friends escorted you to the hospital wing. Not to mention, it was so deep that it took Madam Pomfrey a full twenty minutes to get rid of it completely."

"Those are just rumors!" Sirius yelped, defensive.

"Sure they are, Black, sure they are," Sasha spoke sarcastically.

Sirius growled in response. If any other person had heard this, they probably would've laughed; however, Sasha did the same from time to time, so she knew she had no right to mock him for it.

"Just get to work, Black, before I hurt you in a more… _delicate _area," Sasha ordered, her eyes flickering down to Sirius' (and every boy's) "delicate area". Sirius gulped, almost inaudibly, and got to work. Sasha smirked with pride.

Unexpectedly, the two worked quite well together when they weren't biting each other's heads off. The storage cabinet was as clean and organized as could be in only half an hour. Unfortunately, that gave the both of them nothing to do for thirty more minutes.

Sasha sighed, plopping into a chair. "So… what do we do now?"

Sirius thought for a moment, and then sprung up from his seat. "How about we-"

"-No, Black, we are not going to steal Slughorn's entire stock of firewhiskey," Sasha said sternly.

He gaped at her for a moment before asking, "How did you know what I was going to say?"

Sasha gulped. She had used Legilimency, but no one was supposed to know she was anything but a bright witch for her age. "I know you pretty well, believe it or not," she came up with on the spot. "It wasn't very hard to guess what you were thinking about."

Sirius glared at her. "I'm not that easy to read!" he protested. "And besides, you don't know me!"

"First of all, Black, yes, you are that easy to read," Sasha spoke, sounding bored. "And second, I _do _know you."

"No you don't! You don't know the first thing about me!" he contradicted.

"You wanna bet?" Sasha asked, sitting up. Before Sirius could reply, she recited, as if reading aloud from a book, "Everyone _thinks _your favorite colors are red and scarlet, the Gryffindor colors; but really, your favorite color is purple, because, in your words, 'It looks so good with my silky, stunning black hair'.

"You're the only person in your family that's ever been in anything but Slytherin; they all hate you for it, and treat you awfully, so you hate them back. In fact, you hate them so much that you ran away from them this summer, and now you live with the Potters, officially disowned.

"You have- sorry, I mean _had_- a house elf named Kreacher who you want to die a cruel and painful death and who constantly talks about how he can't wait to die, so his head can be forever preserved with your past house elves' heads on a wall in your former house.

"Your three best friends are James Potter, Remus Lupin, and Peter Pettigrew. You met James on the first train ride, you met Remus on the boats, and you met Peter when James sat next to him at the feast on the first day.

"You don't think that you're a man whore, you like to call yourself a 'ladies' man' instead. You have a younger brother named Regulus in Slytherin who used to idolize you until you got Sorted into Gryffindor and your parents turned him against you, and you secretly wish that Regulus still idolized you.

"You bully Slytherins because of how awful your family is; not just because they tend to be mean, too. It's your own personal way of getting back at your family.

"You had your first kiss with a Muggle girl in London, just to make your parents mad, when you were twelve. You hate jeans, opting for regular trousers all the time, and prefer bow ties to normal ties. Your favorite animal is a dog- a big, black one to be precise. Despite popular belief, you really did like your first few girlfriends, and sometimes you still have feelings for them besides lust. You-"

"How do you know all of that?" Sirius cut her off, staring at her in clear shock.

"I'm observant," Sasha shrugged. "I've found that if you pay attention, you can learn a lot through arguments."

"…I've told you all of that when we _fight_?"

"Yep," Sasha replied, popping the "p". "I reckon I've probably told you just as much, too."

"No you didn't! I would've remembered if you told me any secrets," Sirius stated.

"Well, I know for a fact that I've accidentally let some things slip to you. It's not my fault if you don't remember them."

"But you didn't tell me anything! I'd remember!"

"Black, you're not perfect, despite what those brainless blond bimbos that follow you around think!" Sasha exclaimed, exasperated. "I did too tell you things. Your microscopic- no, less than microscopic- brain just didn't register them as important."

"…So, you're telling me that if I'd paid been more observant in our past arguments, I'd have more than enough blackmail to use on you?"

"Yes, Black," Sasha sighed, rolling her eyes. "In fact, you have quite a bit of so-called 'blackmail' on me from fairly recent events; you're just too dumb to know what I'm talking about."

"Hey! I'm not dumb!" Sirius protested. _Of course, _Sasha thought, _he's too vain to think of anything that I said besides the insult._

"I beg to differ," Sasha sneered.

"I'm not dumb!" Sirius repeated. "And you, of all people- if you even _are_ one, that is, you know I have my own theories about you being an evil, hideous alien from Mars, you certainly _look_ the part- can't call me that; unless you want to be a hypocrite of course."

"You really think I'm dumb, Black?" Sasha arched one eyebrow inquiringly. "Because, if I remember correctly, during our little argument that got us stuck in here- while I _should_ be hanging out with my friends, by the way- you called me a know-it-all, as well as the smartest girl in our year, implying that you think that I'm quite intelligent. Even if you hate me for it."

Sirius was silent for a moment, obviously replaying that particular memory in his head, before cursing under his breath.

"See? I told you that you can learn a lot from arguments," Sasha smirked triumphantly.

To this, Sirius had no response; he only crossed his arms grumpily and stared at the wall moodily. He sat like this, with Sasha thinking her own stormy thoughts about him, until Slughorn came back and released them, with an, "Oho! A job well done, you two. I knew that you could work well together if you really tried!" at seeing the cabinet. Sirius was out of the room as fast as his legs could carry him; Sasha followed more slowly, filled with pride at just how well she had bested her enemy.

* * *

**_So, what do you think? Love it? Hate it? Please review! At least 3 before I update again!_**

**_Thanks for reading (and hopefully pressing that pretty green button!)!_**

**_-Joelle8_**


	6. In Which Lily Freaks Out

In Which Lily Freaks Out

It had been a little over a month since the detention between Sirius and Sasha, and in that little over a month, Sirius had attempted to argue with Sasha more; while she had attempted to argue with him less. She seemed to realize that Sirius just wanted to unearth her secrets, and Sasha clearly did not want her secrets unearthed. Normally, Sasha's blatancy about this fact (she had told him, just the other day, "I don't want you to figure out my secrets, so why give you a chance to?") would have made Sirius suspicious, but he was too preoccupied with his attempts to cause a fight to pay real attention to it.

It was the beginning of October now, October the fifth to be precise, and Hogwarts was in an uproar. Why? It all had to do with a notice found in each common room that morning:

**ALL STUDENTS AGED FOURTH YEAR AND ABOVE:**

**On October 31, there will be a Halloween Ball in the Great Hall from 8:00 PM- 11:00 PM. **

**Students should be dressed formally; in dress robes, or in the case of girls, dresses. This is NOT a masquerade, and masks and/or costumes of any form are not permitted.**

**Students under the age of Fourth Year will be allowed to attend the Ball if invited by a student in Fourth, Fifth, Sixth or Seventh Year.**

**There will be a Hogsmeade trip on Saturday, October 24 to buy any needed clothing articles.**

Needless to say, the girls were gossiping about what they were planning to wear, the boys were gossiping (they call it "just talking", but they're in denial) about who they were planning to ask, and everyone a Third Year or lower was pouting.

"This is just great," Sasha moaned. She was sitting with her friends in the Gryffindor common room, and, like the rest of Hogwarts, they were discussing the upcoming dance. "Just great!"

"What's wrong, Sasha?" Lily asked, concerned.

"Think about it, Lily. It's a _dance_. There will be _dancing_. You know how much my feet hate me!" Sasha threw up her arms, partially in exasperation, partially for dramatic effect.

"She does have a point; she can't dance to save her life," Delilah piped up helpfully.

"So? Just because she can't dance doesn't mean she can't go _to _the dance!" Alice interjected adamantly. She was one of the many girls at Hogwarts who simply adored dancing, balls, and everything that went along with them; therefore, she was determined to make sure that every single one of her friends went to the ball and had a damn good time.

"Well, from what I can gather," Mary mused quietly, "Sasha knows that she _can _go, and, in fact, she plans on going. However, due to her lack of dancing skill, she's afraid that she'll embarrass herself horribly, and nobody will ever let her forget it. And by nobody, I mean Black, and so does she. Am I right, Sasha?"

Sasha looked at her curly-haired friend in amazement for a moment before saying, "Merlin, Pom-Pom, do you know Legilimency or something?! Because I swear, that's _exactly _what I was thinking."

Mary shrugged, blushing at the compliment. "I don't know Legilimency, but I guess you could just say I'm good at reading people."

"True that," said Delilah.

"Anyways, not that Mary isn't wonderful and we all don't love her to pieces, but can we get back to the topic?" Lily asked impatiently. "We need to decide what to do about Sasha's daunting dancing dilemma!"

"Ooo, an alliteration! Nice!" Mary exclaimed, grinning and high-fiving the redhead. Delilah slapped her forehead while Sasha and Alice stared at the Muggleborns in confusion.

"What the bloody hell is an affiterlation?" Alice asked, her eyebrows raised.

"Not 'affiterlation', _alliteration_," Delilah corrected with a sigh.

"And it's when you use at least three words that begin with the same consonant or sound one after the other," Mary explained.

"For example: I said, 'daunting dancing dilemma'. That's three words, and they all begin with the letter 'd', making that particular phrase an alliteration," Lily put in.

"…How do you know about those?" Sasha questioned wondrously.

"You learn about them in Muggle school, which Mary and Lily both attended before they found out they were witches. I know them because my mum homeschooled me for a year when I was seven," Delilah spoke.

"Why did she home-school you?" Alice wondered aloud.

Delilah shrugged. "No idea. She stopped after I burned my textbooks."

The girls burst out laughing- that was exactly the type of thing they would imagine Delilah doing. Especially if she was against something. The girl would prove her point in any way possible.

"Can we get back to the subject of my 'daunting dancing dilemma' now?" Sasha requested slightly impatiently. "As much as I _love _learning about Muggle grenner, I really _do _need some help."

"First of all, it's _grammar_, not _grenner_," Lily said. "Second, yes, we can go back to finding a solution to your problem."

"Well, there're really only a few options, the way I think about it," stated Alice, hands folded on her lap, thinking hard.

"What're you waiting for, then? Let us hear them!" Delilah prompted.

"The first option is that Sasha can go to the dance and dance a lot and risk embarrassing herself. The second is that Sasha can go to the dance, but just not dance that much. The third is that Sasha can learn to dance."

"Option three is out," Sasha commented. "I tried that before Hogwarts. For six years. I had a private teacher and everything- she came to my house twice a week. All it accomplished was me breaking my big toe several times from trying to stand on it, and _only_ it."

"Okay, then I think the choice is pretty clear: go to the dance, and just not dance all that much. What do you think, Sasha?" Delilah asked.

"I agree. And if I dance, then I dance; and if Black teases me about it, well, he'll end up in the Hospital Wing." Sasha spoke this so seriously that her friends couldn't help but crack up- especially since they all knew it was true.

Suddenly, Lily stopped laughing. "Wait a second… what day is it?"

"October fifth," Mary answered.

Lily jumped up and exclaimed, "Holy shit! I'm so sorry, Sasha, I forgot! At least there's still time…" In a flash, Lily was running up to the dormitories, muttering to herself, "Decorations… cake… Merlin, she's turning seventeen!... NO Black, whatsoever… I feel so awful, I can't believe I forgot…" and things of that sort.

"What was that all about?" Delilah and Alice asked in unison, turning to Sasha. Mary, it seemed, had realized the upcoming date along with Lily. Her mouth a perfect "O" of surprise, she dashed up to the dormitory to help Lily, mumbling incomprehensible things under her breath. Sasha smirked and sighed at her friends' horrid memories.

"Think, girls, think. It's October fifth today. What, concerning me, is taking place in five days?" She prompted.

Alice thought for a moment, before crying out, "Oh! Sasha, I'm so sorry, I forgot, too! Oh, I'm such an awful friend. How could I have forgotten?"

"I'm still confused. What'd you forget?" Delilah asked, her brow furrowed in confusion. It took all of Sasha's willpower not to roll her eyes. Delilah was a star on the Quidditch field, and a smart girl, not to mention a right nice one (once you got to know her, that is), but sometimes, her friends wondered if someone had dropped her on her head as a baby.

"Sasha's birthday, of course!" Alice exclaimed, whacking Delilah lightly upside the head, thinking along the same lines as Sasha at that point. "Honestly, I think you've been hit by one too many bludgers."

"Geez, I'm an idiot! How could I not have thought of that?" Delilah smacked her forehead. "Alice, why are we still sitting here? We need to go plan with Lily and Mary!"

"To the dormitory!" Alice proclaimed loudly, causing several people in the common room to look over at her. Not caring, she hopped up with her fist in the air gallantly. "And Sasha, don't you dare follow us! Your seventeenth birthday present is going to be a surprise!" With that, Alice and Delilah rushed up the stairs. Sasha chuckled. She really didn't mind that her friends had forgotten; whenever they did, their actions were quite amusing. She had not been disappointed this time.

_At least I have homework I can do while I wait, _Sasha thought, lifting her books and papers out of her bag. She moved herself to a desk, and sat down to work. It was peaceful and quiet for a few blissful minutes; but good things never last, now do they?

This aforementioned good thing ended with the arrival of the none other than the Marauders. "Hello, Sister!" Remus called jovially, bringing Sasha out of her work-trance; he was one of the few people who could do that, and make it out alive.

"Hey, Brother!" Sasha greeted, ignoring the others completely, even when they coughed to make themselves known. "Guess why I'm down here and not in my dormitory?" Sasha asked cheerfully.

"Why?" Remus asked, playing along with Sasha's game. After all these years of knowing her, he knew her game far too well.

Sasha grinned broadly. "The girls kicked me out while they planned my birthday present."

"They forgot again, did they?" Remus chuckled.

"Yep! Just as entertaining as ever, too," Sasha laughed back. "You should've seen Lily's reaction, especially; it was priceless!"

"Everything about Lily is priceless," James sighed dreamily, staring into space and no doubt fantasizing about Lily yet again. Sasha and Remus, as well as Sirius and Peter, shook their head in dismay.

"Speaking of my birthday, and people forgetting…" Sasha hinted, directing her attention back to Remus and looking at him sternly.

"Don't worry, I didn't forget," Remus rolled his eyes. "In fact, I already got your present," he said, taking a seat next to Sasha.

"Oh goody!" she exclaimed, clapping in excitement.

"Hold up a second," Sirius cut in, tired of being ignored, "did you say that your birthday's coming up, Berg?"

"Yes, Black, I did," Sasha replied coldly, her happy mood for just a few moments previously having vanished. "What are you, deaf? Or just stupid, and finally coming out of your denial?"

For once, Sirius ignored the jab to his intelligence, and asked earnestly, "When?" seeming genuinely concerned for once.

"October tenth. Why?" Sasha asked, curious, but still cold. Not to mention slightly aggravated that her insults had, for the first time in her life, failed to rile him up.

"DAMN!" Sirius swore, followed with a series of profanities that would have made even a sailor cringe.

"What's the matter, Black? Did I do something to make you upset? Because if I did, then I've had a much more productive day than I thought," Sasha stated coolly, hiding her internal laughter with a smug smirk and instantly feeling much better about herself again.

"My birthday's on the eleventh, Berg! You're OLDER than me!" Sirius exclaimed, clearly distressed by this, beginning to pace in agitation.

Sasha stared at him for a moment, and then burst out laughing. "For once, I see what you mean, Black," she said between laughs. "You're a foot taller than me, and yet, I'm older! Oh, this is rich!"

"Watch your words, Berg," Sirius growled, inside eagerly preparing himself for the fight he had been anticipating for so long.

"Really, though, we're not the only ones," Sasha mused, suddenly thoughtful. "James is a month and a half younger than Lily!"

Sirius, Remus and Peter roared with laughter as James came out of his trance with a startled, "WHAT?!"

"Mate, you didn't know already?" Remus chortled. "You bombard her with presents every year on her birthday!"

"Yeah, but- but-" James sputtered, trying to form coherent sentences, "I guess it just never… _registered_… that the love of my life is _older _than me."

"It's okay, Prongs!" Peter assured his friend innocently. "That just means that if- sorry, _when_- Lily and you start going out, she'll be a cougar!"

Sasha, Sirius, Remus and James all burst out with even more raucous laughing than before. Sirius patted Peter on the back and, between laughs, choked out, "This is why we love you, Wormtail!" Peter beamed with pride.

"It doesn't _really _make her a cougar, you know," Sasha pointed out in her friend's defense (one she had finally stopped laughing). "After all, she and James are in the same Year, and she's not even two months older than him!"

"Aw, Berg, don't rain on our parade!" Sirius whined, sounding remarkably like a five-year-old.

Sasha rolled her eyes. "I'm just stating the facts, Black."

"She has a point, mates," Remus admitted. "But Peter- good one, anyways." Peter's grin, which had fallen slightly at Sasha's statement, reached all the way up to his eyes in pleasure.

"I don't care if Lily _is _a cougar," James sighed wistfully, "as long as she's a cougar for _me_." With that, he was back in his Lily-trance. His fellow Marauders and Sasha sighed in annoyance just as Alice came skipping down the stairs from the girls' dormitory.

"Sasha, you can come up now!" Alice called, expectantly waiting for her friend at the bottom of the steps.

Sasha picked up her books and tucked them in her bag, swinging it over her shoulder. "See you tomorrow, Remus," she waved goodbye to her almost-brother. Significantly colder, she turned to the other Marauders and nodded stiffly, "Potter, Pettigrew, Black," before leaping over to Sasha. The boys could vaguely hear her telling Alice, "Don't you _ever _leave me alone in the common room _again_! I was stuck talking to the _Marauders_! Do you know how _painful _that is?! I swear, Remus is the only decent one- you should've heard what Peter said about Lily- not now, I'll tell you up in the dormitory. It was rather funny, though…"

Once Sasha was gone, and her voice out of hearing range, the Marauders collapsed on the couch in front of the hearth. "You know what, Padfoot?" James spoke, out of his Lily-trance and looking thoughtful.

"What?" Sirius replied, looking a bit disgruntled.

"You and Berg aren't fighting nearly as much anymore. I mean, you still obviously hate each other, but… you just aren't really _fighting, _you know?"

"I do know, unfortunately," Sirius crossed his arms unhappily. "Believe me, I've been trying to fight with her- but she refuses to! She's being annoyingly tolerant!"

"Why would she do that?" Peter piped up, his brow furrowed in that confused look that could be found on his face so often. "It doesn't make any sense!"

"Maybe Sasha decided that she wants to behave more civilly to our friend Padfoot," Remus offered hopefully.

"Sensible as that would sound for any other case, Moony, you're wrong," Sirius contradicted. "Remember that day Berg and I had to do detention with ol' Sluggy?"

"Yeah," Sirius' friends answered.

"Well, Berg told me that she actually knows a lot about me- almost as much as you guys, in fact!- just from our arguments! So, ever since then, I've been trying to fight with her, so I can learn secrets about _her_. But she just won't give in! It's like I can't rile her up anymore, and it's driving me mad!" Sirius exclaimed, exasperated.

"Well, she obviously doesn't want you to figure out her secrets. It's perfectly logical," Remus said. "In fact, considering how you'd torture her with her secrets, I don't blame her one bit." _Not to mention, what at least one of those secrets is. If it was _my _secret, I know I wouldn't want anyone to know; no, I most certainly don't blame for wanting to keep it a secret, _Remus added in his head. _Her mother is her business._

"That doesn't mean I have to be happy about it! I mean, the one chance I have to really get on Berg's last nerve, she won't let me! It's… it's… infuriating!" Sirius shouted.

"Why are you so obsessed with annoying Berg anyways, Pads?" James asked. "You've never worked this hard to annoy anybody else. Ever. What's so special about Berg?"

"She's… she's… I dunno, she's just really fun to annoy! More fun than anyone else!" Sirius defended.

"Yeah, she is!" Peter squeaked, agreeing with Sirius as usual.

"Well, I'm exhausted; I'm going to bed. Goodnight, all," Remus yawned, trudging up the stairs, rather tired of hearing his friends talk so rudely about his almost-sister.

"I'm going, too," James stood up. "I need to gather my energy to ask Evans to that dance!"

And so, Sirius and Peter were left in the common room.

"I think I'll go up to the dormitory too, Padfoot," yawned Peter, his eyes fluttering closed, clearly struggling to stay open.

"Go ahead, Wormtail," Sirius waved his friend away. "Tell the others I'll be up in a minute." Peter didn't respond; instead, he dragged himself upstairs, barely making it to his bed before he was fast asleep.

Alone in the common room now- everyone else had gone to bed- Sirius sat and stared into the fire, thinking hard. What James had pointed out struck a chord with him. Why _did _he work so much harder to rile Sasha up than he ever had done to anyone else? What he had said was true- she was more fun to annoy than other people, maybe because it was truly a challenge to get her _really _angry, and because, other than that, she could always match his comments with just as witty lines that could keep their arguments going on for hours end at times if nobody stopped them.

She was his equal.

Truthfully, Sirius realized he _liked _arguing with her; it was almost a hobby of his, though he was sure his fellow Marauders would call it an obsession. But that would mean he was obsessed with Berg, which he most certainly wasn't; he detested the girl with every fiber of his being.

Didn't he?

He decided to ponder this matter another day, walking upstairs to join his friends in the world of slumber.

* * *

**_Wow- all the three reviews I need in just two days! Thanks, everyone! Please keep it up, and review, review, review!_**

**_-Joelle8_**


	7. In Which Mary is the Only Sane One

In Which Mary is the Only Sane One

"I can't believe it!" Alice said in awe, her eyes wide. She and her friends were all in their dormitory, and it was currently 5:00 PM on Saturday, October tenth.

"She's been sleeping all. Fucking. Day!" Lily was currently both annoyed and frustrated, putting her in what was commonly called "Potty-Mouth Mode".

"Even the damn water didn't wake her up! What the hell are we supposed to do?" Delilah exclaimed. No, she was not in "Potty-Mouth Mode"; she just tended to use bad words often and with ease.

"I hope she's alright," Mary said, concerned. "Oh, it would be absolutely awful if she was sick on her birthday! Especially since it's her seventeenth!"

"Maybe she drank a Sleeping Draught or something," Lily mused. "She's exhibiting all of the signs of having ingested one. It's really not all that hard to make, and considering its clear color, awfully easy to slip into drinks…" She trailed off, and she, Alice, Delilah and Mary all seemed to be thinking the same thing.

"Black," they spoke in unison, their tones menacing. They all knew that he was the only person who hated the popular Sasha Berg enough to do something so cruel and uncalled for to her. Without having to communicate a word, all four of them marched up to the Marauders' dormitory, not a shred of doubt or fear in their minds, their only thoughts on helping their friend.

Mary knocked on the door, always the polite one. When Remus opened it, he seemed surprised, but greeted them politely. "Hello Mary, Lily, Alice, Delilah. What brings you up here?"

"Where's your friend?" Alice asked, arms crossed dangerously.

"Hmm… considering Sasha isn't with you, I'm guessing you mean Sirius?" Remus questioned, sounding as if he was stifling laughter.

"Yes," the girls answered in unison.

"He's in here. Hold on, I'll get him," Remus offered, retreating into his dormitory and shutting the door behind himself. The girls could hear what the boys were saying:

"Padfoot! Get out here!" Remus shouted above the muffled scampering in the dormitory.

"Moony," Sirius whined, far from the door, judging by how vague his voice was, "I'm busy!"

"No, you're not, you're _Sirius_, now get your lazy arse up off that bed. You have visitors." The girls had to suppress their laughter- rather unsuccessfully- at Remus' clever choice of words.

"Why the hell would I have visitors?" Sirius asked wondrously. There was a bang from inside the room, as if the lid of a trunk was being thrown open and hit something- by the sound of James' yelp of pain, the girl suspected it was his leg. Delilah had to slap her hand over Lily's mouth to keep her from laughing out loud- as it was, Lily's face turned redder than her hair from her swallowed chuckles.

"It's the girls. I think that they're under the impression that you did something to Sasha. Did you?" Remus' voice was scolding, and remarkably alike a male version of Professor McGonagall.

It seemed Sirius had only heard the word "girls". "I'm going, I'm going!" He cried, jumping off the bed with a hurried thud. "Just let me put some pants on, okay?"

"OI! MOONY!" A new voice shouted, not as far away as Sirius', but not as close as Remus', one that made Lily pale abruptly. "Did you say the girls were here?"

"Yes, I did, Prongs."

"As in the Sixth Year Gryffindor girls?" James' voice was adorably hopeful, and the girls could see him jumping in place out of excitement in their mind's eye- it wasn't exactly unheard of, considering he had done it before- causing all of them (except Lily, whose eyes were closed, and looked to be praying) to bit their lips to keep from laughing.

Remus sighed, "Yes, Prongs. What other girls would be able to get inside Gryffindor Tower?"

James ignored this subtle insult to his intelligence and asked, "Does that include Lily?" The girls could now hear him jumping, and as Lily paled and began praying faster, her friends bit their lips so hard they nearly bled- except for Delilah's, whose lip _did _bleed.

"She'll probably kill me later for telling you this, but, yes, she is," Remus admitted, somewhat reluctantly, since he was aware of Lily's upcoming rage.

"Remus dies," Lily growled from the hallway, her skin paler than even Sasha's, her green eyes narrowed into terrifying slits.

"SWEET CHEESE, I HAVE TO GET READY!" James exclaimed, running around the room, not even crying out when he bumped into anything and everything- which, by the sounds of it, he most certainly did.

"'Sweet cheese'?" Delilah mouthed to Alice, who shrugged in reply, giggling.

"Ready for _what?_" The fourth and slowest (physically _and _mentally) Marauder, Peter, asked; he had clearly just walked into the conversation, most likely from the bathroom, due to the numerous onion rings he had eaten for dinner that night. It made the girls gag just thinking about the revolting sight.

"Have you missed our whole conversation, Wormtail? Lily's outside! I've got to make myself look good to woo her!" James replied in exasperation, frantically searching through his drawers.

"Merlin, help me," Lily moaned under her breath from in the hall.

"Oh. Well, good luck then, Prongs!" Peter said, always the supportive, loyal one. He received no reply; his friends were too busy preparing (James for Lily, Sirius for all the girls, and Remus for dealing with Lily's wrath).

Finally, Sirius came to the door, with- thankfully- his pants on. The girls let out long breaths of relief. "What can I do for you lovely ladies today?" Sirius asked, flashing his trademark grin to the girls, utterly oblivious to their glares.

"What did you do to Sasha?" Lily asked, her eyes narrowed in a glare normally reserved especially for James.

"Why, whatever do you mean, Evans?" Sirius asked, all too clearly feigning innocence.

"We _mean, _Black, that Sasha's been sleeping the whole day, and NOTHING is waking her up! I mean, sure, usually only cold water works, but even _that's_ not working!" Alice exclaimed, frustrated- which very rarely happened, exhibiting her distress. "This shows signs of Sasha being under the influence of a Sleeping Draught, and only _you_ hate her enough to _poison_ her- though who you got the Draught from, I have no idea- but that not's the point! The point is that _you poisoned Sasha_!"

"So, let me get this straight," Sirius began, plainly humored. "You're accusing me of slipping Berg a Sleeping Draught in her pumpkin juice last evening at the feast when she was talking to you all, her back turned to me, and I walked out of the Hall?" Sirius was grinning madly, clearly smug and proud. "Because, if you are, then yes, yes I did."

"YOU ADMIT IT!" Delilah shouted furiously, her face red, her hands balling into tight fists at her sides. Her friends had to hold her back to stop her from pouncing on Sirius, who looked rightfully frightened. Everyone knew that Delilah McPhee packed a hard punch.

"Yes, I do admit it," Sirius replied, feigning calmness, trying his best not to look as scared as he was. "What are you gonna do about it?"

"Just give us the antidote and we'll be on our way, Black," Delilah growled menacingly. "I may even resist my urge to knock your guts out!" Her voice was sickly sweet- and that, quite truthfully, was the scariest part.

"Why should I give you the antidote? What if I need it sometime?" Sirius clearly wasn't going to give the girls the antidote anytime soon. Alice, Lily, Delilah and Mary looked around at each other, and then finally, back to Mary, who sighed, inwardly preparing.

They were about to unleash their secret weapon.

"I can't believe you, Black," Mary said in her quiet, innocent voice, shaking her head, sounding for the entire world to hear like a disappointed mother. Sirius looked stunned; he had rarely heard Mary talk before, and certainly never to him, and never so up-front. "Not only did you _poison _Sasha, but on her birthday, too! Her _seventeenth _birthday at that! And you aren't even decent enough to feel any sort of remorse whatsoever and give us the antidote!

"Sasha's a person, Black, a person who's been looking forward to her seventeenth birthday for _ages_. Really, she has- for years, on every single one of her birthday, she's told us, 'I can't wait until I turn seventeen!' How would _you _feel if someone prevented _you_ from celebrating the biggest, most important birthday of your life, just out of hatred and spite, nothing else?"

"Upset," Sirius answered softly, looking heavily ashamed, not denying Mary's assumption that the only reason he slipped Sasha a Sleeping Draught was because he hated her, and that was that; it was true, after all. Sirius Black was many things, but he was _not _a liar (usually).

"And Sasha, I'm sure, will feel the same way once she eventually wakes up and realizes what you've done. I know you hate her, Black, but I had no idea you- or anyone, for that matter!- could sink so low. Since you clearly aren't going to be giving us the antidote any time soon, I suppose we'll have to be on our way. I guess Sasha will just have to miss her own birthday. Come on, girls," spoke Mary softly, rubbing her hand over her eye as if wiping away tears, turning away from the boys' dormitory and gesturing for her friends to follow her.

"WAIT!" Sirius cried out suddenly, and the girls stopped in their tracks, whirling back around, feigning surprise. He darted inside his room and came out with a small vile. "Here's the antidote," he spoke, holding the vile out to Mary. "I got it when I stole the Sleeping Draught from Slughorn. I figured I might need it- just in case. And, well… don't tell, okay? I still hate her!"

"We know you do, Black. Don't worry- we won't tell. Thank you," Mary replied curtly, her tone resembling that of a businesswoman's. Remus could be heard lightly chuckling from inside the dormitory, obviously having realized what the girls had done. "Let's go now, girls," she continued, and she, Lily, Alice and Delilah made their way back to their dormitory.

"That was brilliant, Mary!" Alice exclaimed once they were far enough from the boys' dormitory that they wouldn't be overheard, laughing so hard there were tears in her eyes. "Did you see his face?"

"You're pretty damn good at those guilt trips, Mary," Delilah laughed, her hands clutching her stomach. "Hell, if you ever get over your shyness, you could become an actress!"

"Thanks," was all Mary would say, blushing with pleasure at the compliments she was receiving.

"Come on, let's go wake up Sasha!" Lily exclaimed cheerfully, skipping steps up to the girls' dormitory.

Behind them, the enraged shout of, "PADFOOT! WHY'D YOU LET LILYKINS GO WITHOUT LETTING ME SEE HER?! YOU STUPID ARSE! HOW COULD YOU?!" accompanied by the sound of a pillow slamming into the side of someone's head could be heard throughout the whole Gryffindor common room.

"It's 7:32, Sasha! You know what that means!" Delilah exclaimed, waggling her eyebrows at her friend, who was awake and lively. The girls were all in their dormitory, enjoying the private party Lily, Alice, Mary and Delilah had planned for Sasha. It included a huge cake, firewhiskey, lots of decorations, a Muggle record player (Lily had figured out how to charm it to make it work amidst all the magic in Hogwarts) that played music so loud that would deafen the ear of anyone over the age of thirty, and even more firewhiskey.

"I'M OFFICIALLY SEVENTEEN!" Sasha screamed in excitement and pure joy. "HALLELUJAH! PRAISE MERLIN!"

"So, Sasha, now that you can legally do magic outside of school, what are you going to do next?" Lily asked, making her voice slightly deeper than usual, balling up her fist like a microphone and holding it under Sasha's nose, pretending to be a reporter.

"Well, Lily, I think I'm going to…" Sasha trailed off, thinking. "Oh! I know! DRINK MORE FIREWHISKEY!" She promptly finished her first bottle of the golden liquid- of the night, that is. Sasha Berg was not a good girl, whatsoever, despite the assumptions of her fellow students, and was well acquainted with the burning feeling of the alcohol making its way down her throat.

Sasha, in an act almost any teenager would deem "normal", then proceeded to drink three more bottles by 8:00.

Her friends had all had three bottles of firewhiskey by that time- except Mary, who was still in the middle of her first, claiming that one of them needed to stay moderately sober in case of some sort of emergency. But, for the most part, they were all as drunk as they could possibly be.

"Look out!" Sasha shot up suddenly, looking wild. Out of all of them, the firewhiskey had had the most obvious effect on her. "Look out!" She repeated. Taking a deep breath, she began belting out one of her favorite songs at the top of her lungs, one that none of her friends had ever heard before, and none of them wanted to hear sung by Sasha again: "PINK ELEPHANTS ON PARADE, HERE THEY COME, HIPPITY HOPPITY!"

(Take note, she was singing all of this was prancing around the room like a stark raving mad antelope on a high from crack.)

"THEY'RE HERE, THEY'RE THERE, PINK ELEPHANTS EVERYWHERE!" Suddenly, the door to the dorm burst open with a slam.

"Oh, sweet Merlin, who gave Sasha firewhiskey?!" Remus Lupin exclaimed, clearly alarmed. "She can't hold her alcohol for the life of her!"

"None of them can, Remus," Mary shook her head sadly. "How'd you get up here, by the way? I thought the stairs were charmed to turn into a slide if any boy tried to climb up them!"

"James and Sirius figured out the counter-curse to whatever makes the stairs repel boys a long time ago," Remus explained to her.

"Well, that's certainly a rather disturbing thought. Lily will probably go straight to Dumbledore when she finds out, you know how scared she is of Potter seeing her in her knickers. I myself am not sure I'll be able to sleep comfortably in my bed tonight either," Mary murmured. "Anyways, what are you doing up here?"

"First of all, I have to give Sasha her present," Remus said, procuring a thin, wrapped gift from behind his back. "Second, I heard her singing. Our whole House did, actually. You should've seen some of their reactions, it was hilarious. Anyways, naturally, I had to make sure everything was alright up here."

Mary nodded just as Sasha, Lily, Alice and Delilah noticed Remus. "BROTHER!!!!!!!" Sasha shouted, pouncing on him with a hug while Alice, Delilah and Lily raised their bottles in the air and yelled, "REM!"

"OOOO!" Alice suddenly cried, hopping to her feet, falling down again in her state of drunkenness. "'Rem' sounds like 'RUM'!"

"Rum is goooooood," Delilah slurred, swaying to nonexistent music.

"Ali- hiccup!- made a-hiccup!- funny!" Lily hiccupped, obviously disoriented and out of her wits. _Oh, if only James could see his Lilykins now- I bet she'd give him that kiss, _Remus couldn't help but think wryly.

"Hello, Sasha," Remus turned to his almost-sister and greeted her (not the other girls; he was fairly sure that they wouldn't be offended in their current state, and if they were, they'd forget it in the morning, and besides all of that, the girls scared him and he wanted to get out of there as fast as he possibly could), stifling his laughter. "Happy seventeenth! Would you like your present now?"

"PRESENT!!!!!!!" Sasha yelled gleefully, bouncing up and down in excitement. "Gimme gimme gimme!"

"Alright," Remus chuckled, handing the gift to Sasha. Sasha tore it open with such eager ferocity that Remus thought it was a shame he didn't have his camera.

Sasha stared at the gift for a moment before flinging herself at Remus. "THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" She shrieked repeatedly, taking another swig of firewhiskey as she did so.

"What iiiiiiiiiiis it?" Lily, Alice and Delilah asked- or, more accurately, slurred- in sing-song tones.

"THE ROLLING STONES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Sasha screeched triumphantly, holding the record up victoriously. "TO THE RECORD PLAYER!"

"TO THE RECORD PLAYER!" Lily, Alice and Delilah chorused, lifting their fists in the air and jumping up to follow Sasha. Mary just laughed and shook her head at her friends' antics.

After a few minutes of Sasha pressing the wrong buttons, since she saw three record players, the Rolling Stones record finally rang throughout the dorm. The girls, of course, had to sing along.

"PLEASE ALLOW ME TO INTRODUCE MYSELF," they sang along to Mick Jagger's sultry voice, prancing around the room and knocking over things along the way as they fought to stay upright.

"I'M A MAN OF WEALTH AND TASTE!" At this line, they all hopped on Remus.

"I think I'll be going now… good night, Mary," Remus told the lone girl in the dormitory with an ounce of sanity, chuckling but eyeing the four drunken girls nervously all the same as he pushed them off of him.

"Good night, Remus," Mary waved him away quietly as her friends continued singing.

Delilah, Alice, Lily, and, of course, Sasha continued that routine for the rest of the night: drink, sing, drink, sing, sing some more, drink some more, sing, drink even more, and so on. Needless to say, none of the Gryffindors got any sleep that night.

And when all the girls decided to sleep through the next day as a result of their massive hangovers, Sirius was perfectly happy. After all, it was his seventeenth birthday; he didn't want to look back on it and have it tainted by Sasha and the girls.

Though, he would've liked his first act of legal magic to have been used against Sasha.

* * *

**_Hope you liked it! Even if you didn't, please tell me what you thought! Three reviews until I update again! Thanks, everyone!_**

**_-Joelle8_**

**_P.S. I keep forgetting this: _**

**_Disclaimer: If I was J.K. Rowling, would I be writing fanfiction?_**


	8. In Which Sasha is Reluctant

In Which Sasha Is Reluctant

"NO! NO! DON'T MAKE ME! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Sasha wailed as Lily, Alice, Delilah, and even Mary dragged her out of Hogwarts and to Hogsmeade on the crisp morning of October 24.

"Oh, come on, Sasha! Going dress-shopping isn't _that _bad," Lily rolled her eyes, pulling on her stubborn, dress-opposed friend's left arm.

"Oh yes, it most certainly is," Sasha nodded urgently, her eyes wide in what could only be described as pure terror, her heels digging desperately into the ground. "Especially when EVERYONE IN HOGWARTS IS GOING TO BE THERE AND SEE ME IN A FUCKING DRESS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

"Sasha, they're all going to see you in a dress at the Halloween Ball, too," Mary reminded her quietly, pulling on her right arm.

"And even _Delilah's _buying a dress willingly!" Alice pointed out, pushing Sasha from behind.

"The circumstances are a bit different for me, though," Delilah admitted, assisting Alice in pushing Sasha's back. "Tomboy I may be, I'm my mum's only daughter, and she takes me shopping as much as possible; and that includes shopping for dresses and trying them on, so I'm fairly used to them, actually. I even like the way it airs out my legs, if you know what I mean. Whereas Sasha, whose dad wouldn't _think _of doing anything to Sasha that she didn't like, isn't used to dresses, and hates them."

"You got _that _right," muttered Sasha stonily. "I'll have to remember to thank my dad later for never taking me shopping, even though I'm his only daughter!"

"Sasha, he's your _dad_. It's the _mom's _fantasy to have a girly daughter, remember?" Alice stated. "Dads want their girls to dress as non-girlish as possible; that way, boys don't pay as much attention to them!"

"Good point," the other girls agreed in unison, all reflecting back on times when their own fathers have proved Alice's statement true.

"I still have to thank him!" Sasha said resolutely. "And will you all _please_ stop trying to drag me? I'm _not_ going dress shopping!"

"Listen, Sasha, you have to wear a dress to the Ball, and this is the only day we're allowed to go shopping! Please, just come with us, and get it over with," Mary pleaded softly, using her flawless logic as a last, desperate attempt to get Sasha to move.

Sasha was silent for a moment, having a stare-down with Mary's widened orbs. Finally, she gave in. "Alright, I'll go! You all are _so _lucky Pom-Pom perfected her puppy dog eyes!" With that, the girls breathed sighs of relief, let go of Sasha, and the five friends made their way down to the village.

"Lily, if you don't try this on, I will personally castrate you," Delilah practically yelled (well, actually, not "practically"), shoving a dress at Lily. The dress was totally gorgeous: it was floor-length, strapless, and made of soft satin. Not to mention it was a striking emerald green that went beautifully with Lily's eyes.

"I'm a girl, Delilah; you can't castrate me!" Lily pointed out, but went into one of the many dressing rooms in Madam Malkin's Clothing for Fine Occasions, a shop that had recently opened in Hogsmeade, and tried it on anyways. When she stepped out, all of her friends knew that was the dress for her.

"Lily Amaryllis Evans, if you don't buy that dress, then we will beat you to a crisp!" Sasha threatened playfully.

"Sasha, you _burn _someone to a crisp; you _beat _someone to a _pulp_," Mary corrected. Sasha elbowed her playfully.

"Oh, same difference!"

"You really like it?" Lily asked tentatively, blushing and twirling in front of a full-length mirror.

"YES!" Her friends shouted in unison. Suddenly, there was a wolf whistle from behind them.

It was none other than the Marauders, and though the girls couldn't tell who had whistled, they suspected Sirius, him being the prick he was; their first guess would be James usually, but he was currently gaping at Lily, open-mouthed, in what could only be described as pure awe.

"You really should buy that dress, Lily," Remus spoke up politely. "It looks great on you, if you don't mind me saying."

"Thank you, Remus," Lily smiled at their favorite Marauder.

"Wow…" James breathed, finally regaining the ability to speak. "Evans, you look… wow," was all he could say, at a temporary loss for words.

Lily blushed- something that, as it had never before happened courtesy of _Potter_, made her friends' mouths drop. "Oh, um… thanks, Potter."

"Don't thank me for telling you the truth," James said, giving her a small smile, seeming to have been encouraged by the blush. "Well, we have to go buy our dress robes, so… see you later, I guess." He turned around along with his friends when suddenly he looked back at Lily and began, "Hey, Evans, will you-"

"No, Potter," Lily sighed in annoyance, the blush gone from her cheeks.

"It was worth a shot," James shrugged before continuing his walk to the men's clothing section, his fellow Marauders behind him.

"Wow. Potter was actually almost… _nice_," Delilah spoke, stunned.

"He just _had _to go and ruin it by asking me out though, didn't he?" Lily said, clearly irritated.

"Well, you have to give him one thing, Lily," Alice proclaimed, looking at her friend seriously. "He's certainly not one to give up."

"That he isn't," Sasha laughed, and her friends joined in. "Okay, so now that Lily found her perfect dress- which she will now take off and go buy-" she looked at Lily pointedly; Lily took the hint and went to buy her gown "-whose dress will we find now?"

"Alice!" Mary exclaimed excitedly. "I know exactly which dress she should try on!" She said, scurrying off to pick up whatever dress she was thinking of.

"Well, Alice it is, then!" Delilah spoke, clapping her hands together in anticipation. Just then, Mary returned.

"Try this on, Alice!" Mary ordered, gently placing the dress into Alice's outstretched hands. The gown was, like Lily's, floor-length (like all the dresses were), but unlike Lily's, it was a soft baby blue and seemed to be covered in glitter from the way it sparkled in the light. In addition, instead of being strapless, it had thin straps that criss-crossed on the back.

"Oooo! Pretty! You don't have to tell me twice!" Alice bounced to the dressing room happily. A minute later she was out, and, once again, one of the girls had found their perfect dress.

"Go buy that dress right now, Alice Marie Prewett, or else," Delilah demanded.

"Yes, Mother," Alice teased, glowing with happiness, retreating back to the dressing room. When she came back out, the dress was folded neatly in her arms, and without a word, she hurried to buy the dress just as Lily came back holding a bag with her dress in it.

"I missed Alice's dress? Oh, I hate you all!" Lily huffed, crossing her arms in annoyance and sitting down.

"I'll try it on for you in the dorm, Lily, don't worry!" Alice assured her friend, coming back from the check-out.

"How'd that go so fast for you? I had to wait for ten minutes!" Lily exclaimed outrageously.

"You were the_ last_ in _your_ line, Lily. _I_ was first," Alice proclaimed smugly.

"SO unfair," Lily huffed, crossing her arms in annoyance.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever. Now, how about we find a dress for _moi_?" Delilah suggested, pointing to herself.

"Of course! Let's go, ladies! We need to find a dress for Delilah!" Sasha exclaimed, and the five rushed in different directions.

"Gold… gold would be good, it would go wonderfully with her eyes, either that or an orange…" Mary murmured under her breath, searching through the racks slowly.

"Delilah loves cotton; I'm thinking that, maybe a bit of an embroidery design around the collar…" Lily mumbled as she looked through the dresses.

"No big sleeves, nope, none of those… strapless would be real good for Delilah," Alice talked to herself as she surveyed the shop for a dress for their tomboy friend. "Oh, and if the bottom of the dress was cut diagonally, that'd be a real plus…"

Delilah wasn't speaking at all; she was looking for a dress with all for the qualities her friends were looking for, which just went to show how well her friends knew her.

But where was Sasha? She, by mistake, had wandered into the men's section, and had just now accidentally bumped into none other than Sirius Black in his dress robes.

"Watch where you're going, Berg," Sirius sneered. "What're you doing in the men's department anyways? Finally decided to admit that you're not a girl after all? We've all had our suspicions."

"I am, indeed, a girl, thank you very much, Black," Sasha retorted sourly, placing her hands on her hips. "For your information, I was looking for a dress, and, not knowing my way around this damn shop, accidentally wandered in this section."

"A girl not knowing her way around a dress shop? Yeah, right," Sirius scoffed.

"Really, I don't know this place at all. You know this shop better than me, I'm sure- after all, nobody _really _thinks that you're completely straight," Sasha shot back, smirking amusedly.

"I am too straight!" Sirius protested. Just as Sasha was about to reply, Remus showed up.

"Hello, Sasha," Remus greeted, smiling tiredly. "What are you and Sirius arguing about now?"

"Hi, Remmy!" Sasha said. "We're arguing about the questionable way he swings."

"The 'way he swings'?" Remus lifted his eyebrows.

"You know, who he goes for. Girls or boys. _He's_ under the impression that he's straight, but _I _know the truth," Sasha explained proudly.

"Oh. Well, I hate to break it to you, Sister, but Sirius is perfectly straight," Remus spoke. Sasha's face fell, but almost instantly brightened again.

"That's okay! At least I can still call him a man whore!" She exclaimed cheerfully. Before Sirius could defend himself, she added, "By the way, Remus, your dress robes look very good on you."

"Thanks, Sasha," Remus said, smiling a little broader. His black dress robes were simple, but elegant, and fit Remus perfectly. "I trust your opinion more than I trust the guys'."

"Don't worry, Brother, the girls will _fawn _over you," Sasha assured him.

"Why are you still here, Berg?" Sirius interjected rudely. "You have a dress to look for, after all; so get moving! Not that any dress would look good on you, though; you're just too ugly."

"It's for Delilah, you toerag! But, I do have to go," Sasha grimaced. "Bye, Remmy! Make sure you buy those dress robes!" She ordered in mock sternness. Before walking away, however, she turned to Sirius and said, "I wish I could tell you that your dress robes look good as well. But then, I'd be lying." She then proceeded to dash away before Sirius could retort.

(In reality, Sirius looked quite dashing in his own black dress robes, even more so than he usually looked, an extremely difficult feat to accomplish; both were facts that Sasha was very aware of. However, she wasn't about to tell him that!)

"I'm back!" Sasha sang, prancing over to where her friends were sitting. "And I brought a dress!" She held the dress up proudly.

"Hopefully, this dress will satisfy Miss Picky here!" Alice exclaimed grumpily, gesturing to Delilah with her thumb. "She rejected everything _we _picked without even trying them on!"

"Actually, this dress just might satisfy Miss Picky here," Delilah said thoughtfully, taking the dress from Sasha and looking it over carefully. "Golden; strapless, cut diagonally at the bottom; 100% cotton; some orange embroidery around the neckline; if it fits me as well as I hope it will, then I'll buy it!" With that, Delilah rushed into the dressing room.

"It fits!" She declared happily a few minutes later, coming out of the dressing room and twirling around for all her friends to see. "Sasha, you're brilliant!"

"I know," Sasha pretended to file her nails in a bored manner. Her friends rolled their eyes, and she grinned, hopping up. "I found it right outside the men's section."

"You ventured that close to the unknown? Oh, you're a true Gryffindor, you are!" Lily elbowed Sasha teasingly.

"Actually, I accidentally ventured straight _into _the 'unknown', as you so rightly call it, since I don't know my way around this fucking store!" Sasha exclaimed seriously. "And don't ask me to recount what happened to me: let's just say, I met Black, we argued, Remus came along, me and Black argued some more, I won, and then I left."

"Oh, you poor, brave soul!" Alice spoke dramatically. "We weep for you!" she added, still dramatically, and all the girls pretended to wipe tears from their eyes, crowding around Sasha.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," Sasha waved them off. "Now, let's find Miss Pom-Pom a dress, shall we?" She waggled her eyebrows.

"Actually," Mary said quietly, "I already found something for me." With that, she procured a shimmering orange dress from behind her back. The orange color was, thankfully, not at all bright, and more like the color of autumn leaves than anything else. Unlike the other dresses so far, this one had actual sleeves (and not just straps) that were edged with lace, but, like Delilah's dress, was cotton.

"It's beautiful, Mary!" Alice breathed, staring at the dress. "Go try it on!"

"Alright," Mary agreed and went into the dressing room. A few minutes later, she called out, "I'm done!"

"Then come out!" Lily called back.

"But… are you sure I have to?" Mary asked, sounding nervous. "I don't want people to stare."

"Mary, there's nobody out here besides us! Besides, people will only stare if it looks totally gorgeous on you, which is always a good thing!" Alice pointed out in response.

"Oh, alright," Mary gave in, and came out of the dressing room. Her friends could only stare at her: she was, as Alice had predicted, totally gorgeous. The soft orange color complimented her golden ringlets, and the cotton clung to her model-worthy figure.

"Pom-Pom," Sasha spoke after a moment of awed silence, "I'm begging you to buy that dress. I will get down on my hands and knees at your feet if it means you'll buy that dress. I'll give you any money you need, just please, _please_, buy that dress!"

"Whoever said I needed begging?" Mary asked. "I'm going to go buy this dress, while Delilah buys hers; then, we can look for _yours, _Sasha."

Sasha visibly paled as Mary, quick as a whip, took off the dress and dragged Delilah over to the check-out counter. When they returned, she paled even more.

"Okay, now everybody- except for Sasha, don't you dare try to sneak away, missy!- spread out and look for a dress for her. Any requirements, Sasha?" Alice asked, taking charge of the situation.

"Yeah. No lace, it makes me itch. Preferably, _not _strapless, but I don't care if it doesn't have a back. Not too much glitter, if any at all. Don't pick a color that one of you already has, and, please, don't pick something you know I'll hate, because I'll refuse to even try it on," Sasha listed her requirements and her friends scurried off to various areas of the store to find a dress for their dress-opposed friend.

About ten minutes later, all of the girls returned to the still-sitting, nervously fidgeting Sasha. To Sasha's surprise, they not only all returned together, but they returned holding only one dress.

"We decided to look for your dress together, Sasha," Lily declared.

"And we only found one that we think you'll like," Alice continued.

"So do us all a favor and try the damn dress on, because we looked for it for ages!" Delilah ordered sternly.

"Please," Mary added, always the polite one.

"Only because you said please," Sasha teased, taking the dress from her friends and surveying it. It was a silky satin, with straps only slightly thicker than Alice's that intersected in a half-back to form an "X". The dress was a striking blood-red color, and red jewels lined the neckline and straps.

Oh yes, the dress most definitely met Sasha's approval; a degree of approval that only increased when she put the dress on, saw the way it fit around her curves as perfectly – it was as if the dress had been made for her- and let her friends see.

"BUY IT!" They shouted at her, including Mary for once, upon seeing her in the dress.

"It's actually fairly comfortable for a dress," Sasha remarked, taking her time just to irk her friends. "You all certainly know me well."

"Yes, we do, now buy the damn dress!" Delilah demanded.

"Oh, I'm not sure. Maybe I should try on a different dress…" Sasha was pretending, but she was such a good actress that all of her friends believed her.

"I don't care how much you hate dresses, Sasha, you're buying this dress!" Alice ordered, stomping her foot.

"What dress?" Remus' voice asked, coming around the corner from the men's section. He stopped in his tracks when he saw Sasha. "Sister, I have to agree with your friends. You really need to buy that dress. I think it may have been made for you."

"Why, thank you, Brother!" Sasha exclaimed, grinning at him. Then, the other Marauders came around the corner.

"Not bad, Berg. You clean up okay," James remarked, looking at Sasha. Sasha smirked; she knew that, from someone like James, who she knew sided with his best friend and therefore hated her, that was as big of a compliment as he'd allow himself to give, and that it really meant that she looked utterly, unspeakably beautiful.

"Well, I don't know what you're talking about," Sirius proclaimed stubbornly, holding his head up high not looking anyone in the eye. "Berg looks just as hideous as always." Truthfully, at this moment, Sirius thought that Sasha was the most beautiful human being he'd ever laid eyes on, even more gorgeous than she usually looked, though he hadn't thought that possible; but he wasn't about to tell _her _that. She was his arch nemesis, after all.

"Padfoot's right!" Peter squeaked, stepping forward, agreeing with Sirius as usual.

"No, he's not!" Lily, Alice, Delilah and Mary defended their friend loudly.

"It's okay, guys. I know that Black is just jealous he can't look as good as me," Sasha said calmly. She knew he was blatantly lying, and he really thought she was totally gorgeous- or, in his man whore vocabulary, 'hot and sexy'. "I think I'll take off this dress and do buy it now," she continued, going back into the dressing room.

"Well, we'll be off now. Goodbye Mary, Delilah, Alice, Lily, and Sasha," Remus said, before leaving Madam Malkin's with his friends in tow.

"Bye, Remus!" The girls chorused, waving- including Sasha, even though she knew Remus couldn't see her.

When the girls finally arrived back at Hogwarts, they immediately went up to their room and fell asleep. They had had a tiring, if productive, long day.

* * *

**_So, what'd you think? Like it? Hate it? Please review! Still need three before I update again! Thanks, everybody!_**

**_-Joelle8_**


	9. In Which Delilah Dresses Like A Girl

In Which Delilah Dresses Like A Girl

"SASHA OLIVIA BERG, GET YOUR LAZY ARSE UP IN THIS DORMITORY RIGHT NOW BEFORE I MAKE YOU!" Delilah yelled down the stairs to the girls' dormitory on the evening of October 31st.

"Geez, Delilah! Hold on!" Sasha said calmly in reply, if slightly annoyed. She was sitting at a desk in the common room, quill in hand, parchment in front of her; she had plainly been in the middle of writing a sentence when the tomboy had called for her.

"Sasha, the dance starts in an hour! You have to get ready!"

Sasha sighed and turned around in her seat, facing her friend. "Will it really take me a whole hour to get ready?"

"Think about it: Lily. Alice. Full supply of hair and facial products, not to mention a reason to use them! OF COURSE IT'LL TAKE AN HOUR!"

"I'll be up in a few minutes, okay? I'm finishing up a letter to my daddy," Sasha proclaimed, turning back around and continuing to write her letter.

"Sasha, you write him a letter _every _Saturday," Delilah moaned. "Don't you think you could just… not? For once? You're seventeen now, Sasha; I'm sure he'd understand."

"Oh, I know he would. But I like writing him letters. It's the best I can do, since he's not at Hogwarts. Besides, I'm done now," Sasha spoke. _Besides, if he responds, I know he's still okay, _she added in her head. She stood up from her seat at the desk and folded her letter in half. "I'm going to take this to the Owlery to mail it; I'll be back in about ten minutes, okay?"

"Mail it after the dance, Sasha, you're coming with me." Delilah had had enough, and walked down the stairs, grabbed her friend roughly by the wrist, and dragged her into the girls' dormitory.

The first thing Sasha said upon entering her dormitory was, "Don't you dare come near me with those things," pointing with a frightened, shaking hand at what Lily and Alice were currently holding and using on poor, defenseless Mary.

"Oh, but you'd look so good with straight hair, Sasha! Please, just for tonight!" Lily pleaded.

"Not a chance!" Sasha snorted. Then, she looked at Mary. "Oh my Merlin… RUN, POM-POM, RUN! WE HAVE TO GET YOU OUT OF HERE! QUICK, FOLLOW ME!" She made to grab her quiet friend, who was laughing almost to the point of suffocation in her chair, but Delilah pulled her back. "NO! Pom-Pom, don't let them do it!" Sasha continued shouting.

"Don't let us do _what_, Sasha?" Alice asked, completely confused.

"Alice Marie Prewett, don't you dare put that flat-iron on Pom-Pom's hair! I am NOT going to let you straighten Pom-Pom's curls! Then she wouldn't be my Pom-Pom anymore!" Sasha exclaimed ferociously.

Alice, Lily, Delilah and Mary stared at Sasha for a moment before bursting out laughing. "Sasha… we weren't going to straighten Mary's hair!" Lily said between laughs. "We had just finished using it on Alice when you came in!"

"Oh," was all Sasha could say, her face flushed in embarrassment.

"Yeah, 'Oh'. Can I let go of you now?" Delilah asked, chuckling.

"Yes, please," spoke Sasha. Delilah instantly released Sasha- to both of their delights.

"Well, girls," Sasha began, rubbing her hands together in anticipation, "let me see what you've done with yourselves!" Lily and Alice, the only two of them who had finished dressing, rolled their eyes and stood up for Sasha to see.

Lily had styled her nearly-auburn locks in a fancy up-do that was piled on top of her head, which would look awful on most people, but only gave Lily an appearance of elegance and grace. She was wearing a pair of shiny emerald green shoes with small heels, and was wearing a thin silver necklace. A thin layer of mascara and eyeliner had been applied to her eyes, making them stand out, as well as red lipstick and the tiniest bit of blush.

Alice's hair, when straightened instead of in a bob, was actually just below shoulder-length, allowing her to put it in a lone braid in the back of her head before twisting it into a tight bun. She had put on some silver, glittering eye shadow, and the same amount of mascara and eyeliner as Lily, with the same effect. She had put on light pink lipstick in contrast to Lily's red, and had applied a very light- but still noticeable- layer of blush. She had on blue heels that were slightly taller than Lily's, as well as a silver bracelet and two chain necklaces, one golden and one silver.

"You two look _beautiful_!" Sasha fawned. "Aww, my wittle Wiwy and Awice are growing up!" she play-sniffed, her hand pressed dramatically on her heart.

"Shut it, Sasha," Lily beamed.

"Yeah; you're distracting us! We have to get back to Mary!" Alice admonished, smiling nonetheless.

Sasha sighed, and turned to Delilah. "Wake me when it's my turn," she said before collapsing on her bed and taking a not-that-well-deserved nap before anyone could stop her.

Sasha awoke fifteen minutes later to her usual splashes of cold water. "Thanks, all!" She beamed brightly. "Now, Delilah, Pom-Pom; present yourselves!" She ordered, sitting up and looking at her friends expectantly.

Delilah and Mary stepped in front of her, and at that moment, Sasha had no doubt that the most beautiful girls at the ball were in her very dormitory.

Delilah's hair had been curled, and was hanging gracefully over her shoulder in a side ponytail. She was wearing the slightest bit of blush and mascara; from Alice and Lily's put-out faces, they had clearly tried to put on more, but had lost miserably. She was wearing golden ballet slippers (it would've been unfair if she had worn heels, her already being so tall), and though her look was simple, it was stunning. Sasha couldn't help but say, "Oh, Delilah! You dressed like a girl!" in pure joy.

"They offered me 20 Galleons to put the make-up on," Delilah rolled her eyes, taking out the pouch of coins. "What was I supposed to do, _refuse _money? No way in hell!"

Sasha chuckled, and looked back at Mary. She had known Mary was beautiful, but she had never seen her _this _beautiful. Somehow, Mary's hair had been tamed enough to into a tight bun, in which two orange, decoratively painted chopsticks had been placed- "For a bit of foreign charm," Alice said as she saw Sasha looking them over. Mary was wearing about as much make-up as Lily, except she had gone without the red lipstick, instead going for a more natural hue, and was wearing a new pair of fancier glasses that were bejeweled around the edges and gave her a, frankly, smart look. The only jewelry she wore was a golden bracelet, and Sasha couldn't see what shoes she was wearing; they were covered by her gown. However, she assumed they were heels, as Mary had the best balance out of all of them.

"You know what this means now, don't you, Sasha?" Delilah asked in a playfully menacing tone.

"Oh, shit…" Sasha breathed as it suddenly dawned on her.

"YOUR TURN!" Her friends cried in unison. Before she could say, "Uh-oh," Sasha was pushed inside the shower, being told to, "Wash up real good! And don't come out until you're all clean and you smell good, too!" Knowing that complaining would do her no good, Sasha did just this, and even washed her hair with her vanilla-scented shampoo and conditioner. She came out twenty minutes later.

"What now?" She asked, holding up her towel around her body.

"Now, dry off COMPLETELY, and get into your dress! You have five minutes!" Alice ordered, gesturing to Sasha's bed where her dress lay. Five minutes later, Sasha was dry and dressed.

"Chair! Now!" Lily barked in command, pointing Sasha to the chair, where she reluctantly sat down. "Let's see, what to do with you?" Lily mused, looking thoughtful.

"I have a great idea!" Sasha suddenly jumped up from the chair. "How about we not do anything to me?"

"NO!" Lily, Alice, Delilah and Mary flat-out refused.

"Oh, come on! Let's face it; I don't _really _need all that stuff, do I?" Sasha tried to reason, eyeing the make-up with a mixture of disgust and horror on her face.

"At least put on some blush, Sasha!" Alice pleaded. "And some eye shadow; it's just blush for your eyes! And really, what harm could some lipstick do?"

"Tell you what: I'll put on some blush, and some _chapstick_, but nothing else."

"But- but- but-" Lily stammered, very disappointed.

"We'll give you- aw, shit, I'm out of money!" Alice cursed, looking through her things for some more Galleons, in hopes of bribing Sasha. Unable to find any, she resumed her begging. "Please, just what Lily has on? It's just mascara, eyeliner, lipstick and blush! Please, Sasha!"

"Nope! Just a little blush, and some chapstick! Take it or leave it!" Sasha declared, holding up her hands.

"Okay, fine!" Delilah agreed for all of them, looking thoroughly sick of the arguing. "Now go on and put on that blush and chapstick for us like you promised!" Sasha did so, a smug smile on her face the whole time.

When Sasha was finished, she walked back over to her friends. Alice was still grumbling about how Sasha was "a party pooper and a spoil sport" under her breath.

"Now, what do we do with your hair?" Mary asked quietly, a mischievous glint in her eyes.

Sasha instantly paled and back away from her friend slowly. "No. No. Fucking. Way. There is no fucking way I'm straightening my hair, or putting it in a ponytail, or anything of the sort! Leave my hair alone!"

Lily, Alice, Delilah and Mary were advancing on her, though, each holding a different hair product. Sasha gulped, and said the first thing that came to her mind. "Oh, damn, look at the time! We have to go!" She exclaimed, her voice significantly higher pitched than usual, as she darted out the door and down to the common room. Luckily for Sasha, the ball had, indeed, already started; so Lily, Mary, Delilah and Alice all dropped their hair products and rushed down to join their relieved friend in the common room.

When the five Sixth Year Gryffindor girls entered the Great Hall, Sasha knew that her prediction- that she and her friends would be the most gorgeous girls at the dance- was right. Eyes followed them as they walked, from both jealous girls and awestruck guys, and Sasha had to hold back a smirk. As a force of habit from being raised in Pureblood society, she held her head up high and made sure her back was straight, so that she looked dignified and royal. Alice was walking in a similar manner, also having been raised as a pureblood, and Lily, Mary and Delilah, though not purebloods, were all walking the same way, having learned how to do it from Sasha and Alice in first year.

To all of the girls, the stares they got from the Marauders were the most… interesting. Satisfying, in a way. Unlike the other students, the Marauders' thoughts were much too easy to read through their faces:

Peter was clearly thinking, _Man, those girls are hot. I wish I was as cool and hot as them_. Or something along those lines.

James was blatantly staring at Lily, and only Lily, almost drooling. This is explanatory in itself.

Sirius' expression was one of confusing self-hate. Sasha was able to decipher this even further, just thanks to how well she knew him: her enemy currently hated himself for finding the girls- especially Sasha- extremely attractive. This was enough to make Sasha smirk a smirk even Lucius Malfoy couldn't match, though she doubted anyone noticed.

Remus looked amused by his friends' reactions, and seemed to be telling Sasha, Lily, Alice, Delilah and Mary, _Marauders: 0. Girls: 1. Good job, you look great._ Sasha could just picture Remus saying this, and it took all of her composure not to burst out laughing.

"HELLO, HOGWARTS!" At the front of the Great Hall, a stage had been set up that was currently hosting the hottest Wizarding band of 1977, The Winking Lizards. It was the leader of the Winking Lizards, Link, who had just shouted into the microphone. "HOW ABOUT WE PLAY SOME MUSIC?" Link continued, to a roar of applause. "GREAT ENTHUSIASM OUT THERE! C'MON, BOYS, LET'S PLAY!" With that, Link and his band mates began playing their #1 hit, "Transfigure My Heart".

Some girls squealed, and they dragged their dates onto the dance floor. Pretty soon, almost everyone was dancing, except for a handful of people: a group of dateless Slytherins, a few couples snogging outside or on the sidelines, and, surprisingly, the Marauders, as well as Mary, Alice, Delilah, Sasha and Mary.

The Marauders were sitting at the same table as the girls, and anyone could tell they were unwanted.

"Go away, Potter," Lily begged.

"Oh, but Lilyflower, I just want a dance!" James protested.

"'Lilyflower'? That's a new one," Delilah snorted in amusement.

"I have a feeling it's not gonna go away that soon, either," Alice murmured, just loud enough so that the girls could hear. They all began laughing, but quickly took sips of their drinks to stifle their giggles.

"So, girls," Remus began, "I have to say, you clean up nicely."

"Thanks, Brother," Sasha beamed at her almost-brother. Mary, Delilah, Alice and Lily did the same.

"Moony, why do you lie to the girls?" Sirius asked, pretending he wasn't thinking the same thing.

"Padfoot, why do you pretend that you don't think they're the hottest girls at the ball?" Remus shot back, an eyebrow arched.

"Wha- I- they- what- no!" Sirius spluttered, caught. The girls couldn't suppress the laughter that erupted.

"Don't worry, Black; we're all in pretty good moods today, so we won't tease you about it," Delilah assured him, sounding as if she was doing him a huge favor, and that she knew it, too.

"That doesn't mean we won't talk about it in the future, though," Sasha warned, smiling smugly.

"You better keep your mouth shut, Berg," Sirius threatened, eyes narrowing.

"You talk as if I'm supposed to be scared of you, Black," Sasha stated calmly, eyebrows raised.

"You should be," Sirius growled.

"Don't flatter yourself, Black," Sasha rolled her eyes.

Before Sirius could respond, Peter cut in, "Where's the food?"

"Over at that table by the stage, Wormtail," James pointed to a far-off table. Peter eagerly scurried over there, and, from the look of things, didn't seem like he'd be returning anytime soon.

"Hello, all," Frank Longbottom greeted, coming over to the table. Alice sat up straighter, smiling broadly. "Mind if I take a seat?"

"No, of course not, Frank!" Alice answered eagerly before anyone else could even open their mouths. "Sit down!" Frank grinned at her and sat down.

"So, why haven't any of you been on the dance floor yet?" Frank asked all of them, but he seemed to be looking more at Alice than at anyone else.

"Nobody's asked me to dance, and none of my friends want to dance," Alice shrugged, still grinning.

"May I change that?" Frank inquired, standing up and holding his hand out to Alice.

"Yes, you may," Alice giggled back as the man of so many of her dreams took her hand and led her to the dance floor.

"They're so perfect for each other," Lily sighed, watch her best friend begin to slow dance.

"It's obvious they're meant to be," Mary agreed.

"I'm so happy for Alice! She's been pining for him for years!" Sasha remarked.

"Wait- _Alice_ has liked _Frank_ for _years_?" James interjected.

"Yeah," the girls nodded.

"But _Frank's_ had a crush on _Alice_ for years!" James exclaimed.

"So, they've both been waiting to be asked out by the other all this time, each think the other didn't like them, when really, they could've been together for years now and we wouldn't have had to deal with Alice's incessant rambling about him all this time?" Sasha clarified.

"Yep," James, Sirius and Remus chorused.

There was a moment of silence, and then Delilah declared, "If they don't get together this year, I'll attach them to each other with a Permanent Sticking Charm."

"Count me in," Sasha, Lily and Mary agreed, taking sips of their drinks. Just then, Link came to the microphone again:

"I WANT ALL OF YOU ON THE DANCE FLOOR FOR THIS NEXT SONG! GIRLS, DANCE WITH BOYS, AND BOYS, DANCE WITH GIRLS!" Link shouted. "JUST TO MAKE SURE YOU ALL DO THAT…" He took his wand out of his back pocket and muttered an incomprehensible spell under his breath, and the floor glowed for a second before going back to its normal color. "NOW Y'ALL HAVE TO DANCE WHEN WE PLAY THIS SONG! ENJOY!"

The next song began playing, and Sasha grimaced: of course, the one song she'd be forced to dance to was a slow song. Everyone felt themselves magically (literally) drawn onto the dance floor and over to someone of the opposite gender. Mary and Remus were moved next to each other, and, blushing, they started dancing. Delilah seemed looked fairly pleased; she had been dragged over to a good looking Ravenclaw with slicked-back black hair and warm brown eyes. Lily was visibly murderous as she and James were moved closer to each other (James looked blissful). Sasha, however, was even more furious than Lily; she had been dragged over to none other than- you guessed it- Sirius.

"I'm warning you, Black, you better not try any funny business," Sasha warned, flinching uncomfortably as Sirius unwillingly placed his hands on her waist, clearly experienced at slow dancing.

"Berg, the only funny business here is your attempt at dancing… if you can even call it that," Sirius smirked as Sasha awkwardly put her arms around his neck and the two began swaying back and forth to the music, Sirius' dancing skill significantly better than Sasha's.

"Don't remind me. I'm an awful dancer," Sasha rolled her eyes at herself.

"I thought, being a pureblood, you would've been to a whole bunch of balls?"

"No way; my dad hates dancing just as much as I do. He was overjoyed when I decided I didn't like dancing, because then he didn't have to go to the balls, either."

"Ow!" Sirius exclaimed as Sasha stepped on his foot. "What was that for?"

"Well, it could be for you being the arrogant toerag you are, but if I were to be honest, it's just something all awful dancers do," Sasha admitted.

"Well, then you're really- ouch!- an awful dancer," Sirius winced as Sasha stepped on his foot again.

"Gee, _thanks_," Sasha said sarcastically. "Listen, we obviously have nothing to talk about, so how about we spy on our friends?"

"Huh?" Sirius asked, clearly confused. Sasha sighed.

"Black, we can barely talk without arguing. I don't really want to ruin this dance with one of our fights. So, I suggest we see how our friends are fairing. We have nothing else to do."

"Sounds fair enough," Sirius agreed, flinching as his foot was stepped on yet again. The pair looked at James and Lily first, who looked just as they did when they were first forced to dance. "Man, Evans seriously hates Prongs," Sirius laughed.

"Yeah. If he'd only deflate his head and mature, he may have a chance, though," Sasha remarked.

"Seriously? No pun intended," he added hastily.

"Seriously," Sasha stated. "Lily actually thinks James is pretty good looking. She'll never admit it, but I can tell- her gaze always lingers on him a bit, you know what I mean?"

"Now that you mention it, I do," Sirius nodded. "Hey, look at Moony and Mary!"

"You know, they look pretty cute together," Sasha said thoughtfully; she was so absorbed in her thoughts that she didn't even notice when she, yet again, stepped on Sirius' foot. Remus and Mary were currently dancing and laughing, and looked to be having a good time.

"Yeah. They should get together; they'd be a good match. They're both freakishly bookish and quiet," Sirius pointed out.

"That they would be, Black, that they would," Sasha agreed. Suddenly, shifting her gaze, she chuckled. "Oh, look at poor Peter!"

Sirius let out a bark-like laugh at the sight of his friend. "Poor Wormtail- stuck dancing with that Slytherin! He actually seems like he's having an okay time, though." Indeed, Peter looked to be very engaged in conversation with the Slytherin girl, who was even shorter than him- and was probably the only girl at the ball who was.

"Oh, don't Alice and Frank look cute together?" Sasha cooed, already bored with looking at the shortest Marauder. While distracted, she stepped on Sirius' foot again; he bit his lip to stop from crying out in pain.

"Yeah. You know, if they don't get together this year, I'll help you with that Sticking Charm," Sirius commented, only half jokingly.

"We don't need your help, Black, but thanks anyways. Look at Delilah!" Delilah was dancing with the older Ravenclaw, and was looking at him in admiration that suggested more-than-friendly feelings (to Sasha's delight). The Ravenclaw was looking at Delilah with a similar expression.

"The Ravenclaw's name is David Corner," Sirius told her. "He's an alright bloke; he's real obsessed with Quidditch, though. It gets kind of annoying."

"Well, then he's perfect for Delilah!" Sasha exclaimed brightly.

"True- she does tend to like Quidditch more than most, doesn't she?" Sirius laughed, stopping abruptly when Sasha stepped on his foot again.

"That she does," Sasha replied, also laughing.

"Hey, you two?" Lily was walking over to them, a curious and mildly shocked expression on her face. "The song's over; you can stop dancing now."

Sirius and Sasha blinked, hastily putting their arms at their sides, both of their cheeks flushing in embarrassment; they had both been so absorbed in their conversation that they hadn't noticed when the song ended. Lily noticed this, but decided not to mention anything to anyone; she didn't want to ruin Sasha's night.

"You know, I think we actually just had a whole conversation without killing each other, Berg," Sirius pointed out, looking genuinely surprised. _My feet hurt like hell though, _he thought grimly.

"Huh. I guess you're right," Sasha said, looking surprised as well. "Who would've thought?"

"Not me," Sirius said seriously. "Well, I'm gonna get back to my friends now."

"I'll go to the girls- c'mon, Lily. Bye, Black," Sasha walked away, with a little wave. Lily followed, and out of the corner of her eye, saw Sirius stare as Sasha as she walked away.

_Well, this is an interesting new development_, Lily thought, the wheels in her mind already turning.

The rest of the dance passed in a blur. Neither Sirius nor Sasha (or Lily) ever mentioned the short period of time in which they had gotten along for the first time in their lives, and, if they ever were asked about their dance, only spoke of how Sasha repeatedly stepped on Sirius' feet (Sasha spoke with pride, Sirius with aggravation) and went back to hating each other and treating each other with the same loathing and disdain the day afterwards.

But neither forgot.

* * *

**_So, what'd you think? Please review! Still need three before I update again! Thanks to everyone for the four reviews last chapter! _**

**_-Joelle8_**


	10. In Which Sirius is Scared

In Which Sirius Is Scared

"Class? Why are you not in your new assigned seats?" Sasha groaned inwardly. Why, oh why did Professor Adams have to be so observant? Couldn't he have not noticed that the class was completely disregarding their recently rearranged seating, instead sitting with their friends, like they'd been able to before that… _unfortunate _class the other day?

(If you're wondering what occurred on that unfortunate class the other day, let's just say, it involved canaries, Professor Adams' underwear, pink frosting, and the Marauders. Need anything else be said?)

Normally, Sasha would've complied with the assigned seating, seeing as Professor Adams was one of her favorite teachers. However, he had decided to do the assigned seating alphabetically. So, of course, she was stuck sitting beside Black, who, despite their civil conversation at the dance ten days before, had been nothing but his usual arrogant toerag self towards Sasha since then. So, she had to respond accordingly: with loathing and disdain.

"Class, I want you all to move to the seats I gave you yesterday- now, if you please! Don't give me that look, Mister Black!" Professor Adams ordered. Sasha smirked; at least she knew that she wasn't the only one unhappy with her seating arrangement. Grunting with displeasure, Sasha picked up her back and her books and moved to her seat at the front of the classroom, right next to a scowling Sirius Black.

"This is just great," Sirius grumbled, just loud enough so that Sasha could hear him. "Not only do I have to sit next to you in Potions, but now in D.A., too!"

"You're not the only one unhappy about this, Black," Sasha shot back. Before Sirius could reply, Professor Adams, seeing everyone was sitting accordingly, began teaching the lesson.

"Now, students, today, we'll be studying bogarts," the teacher announced. "And, before you say anything, I know you did bogarts in Third Year; but that was three years ago, so I figured I'd let you lot have an easy day, and let you just do review. You will not face the bogart in front of the class, however." At this, the whole class sighed in collective relief, especially Sasha; Defense Against the Dark Arts was, strangely enough, her worst subject. Truly, she needed a lot of help on it. So, reviews were always welcome for her. "You will go in the side room with your partner when I tell you to, and the both of you will take turns looking at the bogart. When you're done, you'll come back out. Any questions?"

"Yes," Sasha asked abruptly, raising her hand as her positive mood swiftly evaporated. "Can I go alone? Please?"

"I'm afraid not, Miss Berg," Professor Adams shook his head. "I'd rather you face the bogart with someone else, just in case your fear overwhelms you."

"Then can we pick who we go in with?" Sasha asked desperately, in one last attempt to prevent her arch nemesis from finding out her worst fear. Truthfully, she wasn't sure what it was herself- she had missed that lesson in Third Year, and couldn't know for sure, though she had a suspicion. And if her suspicion was correct, she suspected that she'd break down crying, and she did _not _want Sirius Black to see that.

"No, Miss Berg," Professor Adams sighed, looking slightly annoyed. "After the… _disturbance _in class the other day, you, as a whole, must learn your lesson. So, as much as I'd like to let you pick your own partners, no."

Sasha sank down in her chair desolately. She was sure that she was slowly paling to a pure white color, a color that she only got when she was truly terrified. She could practically feel her friends' concerned frowns and sympathetic grimaces; she could also feel the smirk from the person beside her.

"Let's review a bit about bogarts, shall we, class?" Professor Adams said. "Bogarts take the image of a person's worse fear. To defeat a bogart, you have to think of a way to make your worst fear funny, and think of that while saying the word 'Ridikulus'. For example, if a person's fear was, say, a spider. Said person could imagine the spider in rollerblades- after all, an eight-legged arachnid is quite funny in rollerblades- and, pointing their wand at it, would recite, very clearly, the incantation, 'Ridikulus'. Then, the image would change, from just a spider, to a spider in rollerblades. Everyone understand?"

"Yes, Sir," the class recited in a bored monotone.

"Very good!" the Professor exclaimed. "Now, I'll be picking the pairs from this hat," he gestured to a black top hat on his desk, "and you'll go into the side room," he pointed to the classroom's side room, right to the left of his desk, "and face the bogart. When you're done, you'll come back out. Ready, everybody?"

"Yes, Sir."

"Good! Well, it looks like up first is…" Professor Adams closed his eyes and pulled a slip of paper out of the hat. "Mr. James Potter and Miss Alice Prewett! Off you go!" The two named students stood up, both looking quite disgruntled, and made their way into the side room. A few minutes later, they came out, both significantly paler, and nodded to each other curtly as they took their seats. _I guess learning a person's fear can create a more civil nature, _Sasha thought bemusedly.

"Miss Lily Evans and Miss Mary MacDonald!" Professor Adams called out. Lily and Mary stood up, and, smiling at each other in encouragement, went into the side room. When they came out, Lily had her arm around Mary's shoulder comfortingly, whispering soothing words. Mary, it seemed, looked like she was fighting off tears. Sasha knew why: Mary's worst fear, of a Sixth Year Slytherin named Mulciber, brought back awful memories of what he did to her in the middle of Fourth Year. Though Mary never told her friends what exactly Mulciber did to her, Sasha knew it was awful, cruel, and probably involved Dark Magic.

"Mr. Remus Lupin and Mr. Frank Longbottom!" Remus and Frank walked to the side room, Remus looking extremely nervous. Sasha knew that Remus' fear was of the full moon- because, after all, Remus was a werewolf- but she doubted Frank, though he certainly got along with the Marauders, had been told of Remus' condition. Remus' fear would undoubtedly cause a lot of suspicion. When Remus and Frank came back out, Sasha knew she was right: Remus wouldn't look anyone, especially Frank, in the eye, and Frank kept stealing suspicious glances at him.

"Miss Delilah McPhee and Mr. Peter Pettigrew!" Delilah's expression was stony as she walked to the closet, Peter trailing a bit behind her, obviously afraid of the girl. They came back out a few minutes later, and nothing much in their appearances were different, except both of them were slightly paler.

"Mr. Sirius Black and Miss Sasha Berg!" Sasha gulped. This was it: the moment she had been dreading. She could tell that she had almost reached her palest point- a point that she very rarely reached, seeing as very few things scared her- and it was causing her friends to stare at her in alarm, as none of them had seen her this pale before. Sasha tried her best to flash a quick, small smile at them, but she was sure it turned out as more of a grimace. She chanced a glance over at Sirius; he was silent, his features hard, and looked like he was looking forward to this just as much as Sasha was.

"Ready, Berg?" Sirius whispered as they walked to the side room.

"No," Sasha admitted, forgetting who she was talking to for a moment.

"Not so brave and strong are you after all, then, Berg?" Sirius sneered.

"Everyone had fears, Black," Sasha retorted. "I've never said that I didn't, and never acted like I didn't, either."

"Yeah, right. Get off your high horse and tell the truth, Berg; you think that you're invincible," Sirius scowled, opening the door to the side room and entering, Sasha following.

"You want to truth, Black?" Sasha hissed. "I don't think I'm invincible. And honestly, I'm terrified right now. Not only am I going to have to see my worst fear, in my worst subject, but _you're _going to see it, too."

"I'll make you a deal, Berg," Sirius said after a moment of thought. "You don't tell anyone about my fear, I won't tell anyone about yours. How about that?"

"Fine by me," Sasha nodded her consent. "You go first," she commanded, jerking her head towards a chest in the center of the room. As the chest was the only thing in the room, the bogart undoubtedly lived inside it.

For once, Sirius didn't argue; instead, he strode up to the chest and stood boldly in front of it. The chest opened, and shapes began forming in front of it. Finally, the bogart's transformation ended, and Sasha, truthfully, wasn't at all surprised by it: Sirius' worst fear was James, Remus and Peter all dead. However, there was an element that she, perhaps, should've expected as well, but didn't. A man and a woman stood over the dead teenagers, cackling hideously. The man had Sirius' stormy gray eyes; the woman had his slick black hair. Sasha could only assume that these people were Sirius' parents.

Sirius stared at the image for a few minutes, obviously horrified. Finally, he took a deep breath and cried, much louder than necessary, "Ridikulus!" Almost instantly, James, Remus and Peter hopped up and began laughing and playing around with each other, and the Blacks melted into piles of goo.

_Not unlike the Wicked Witch of the West in __The Wizard of Oz__, _Sasha thought with the slightest bit of amusement.

After another few deep breaths, Sirius walked away from the image of the piles of goo and his laughing friends and over to Sasha. Not having any fear to personify, the bogart retreated back into the depths of its chest again.

"Your turn, Berg," Sirius said coldly.

Sasha nodded mutely, but made no move. Her feet seemed to be frozen to the ground all of the sudden.

"_Go_, Berg," Sirius prodded, giving her the little push she needed- except his push wasn't all that little- towards the bogart. "Oh, and Berg?" Sirius spoke unexpectedly, and Sasha turned around.

"Yes, Black?" She asked, fighting to keep her voice at a normal volume.

"Erm… just… remember not to tell people about my fear, will you?" Sirius requested, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly.

"As long as you don't tell people mine," Sasha replied coolly, determined not to show her fear of facing the bogart. Without another word, she turned back around, and moved to stand in front of the bogart.

Sirius watched as his arch nemesis attempted not to portray her fear on her features as she moved in front of the bogart. Maybe that was what made her look so frightened-it was so obvious how hard she had to try to simply talk at a normal volume. She thought Sirius had not noticed this; rather, he had, but he had chosen to overlook it for the moment.

He watched Sasha closely, admittedly curious- the girl had never shown any real fear before, so, naturally, he wanted to know what she could possibly be the most scared of. To his surprise, not only did the bogart seem to take no time in deciding what Sasha's fear was, the image formed much quicker than Sirius' had, and, in a few seconds, was prominently in front of Sasha.

The bogart had turned into a man, lying on the ground, clearly dead: his eyes were wide and glassy, and though open, were unseeing. Looking closer at the man's eyes, Sirius gave a start: they were exactly the same larger-than-usual size and exactly the same shade of a warm chocolate as Sasha's. As Sirius looked at the man's other features, he decided that this could only be Sasha's father: for he was the exact male version of Sasha, except for the hair, which was all black, with no hint of other colors, his smaller mouth, and the fact that he was taller and rounder. _I should've known she'd be scared of her father dying, _Sirius decided, remembering all of the times he had teased his enemy over crying about leaving her beloved father.

Remembering the girl whose fear the bogart had taken the shape of, Sirius wondered all of the sudden, _Why hasn't Berg said anything? _He knew that he had certainly not taken as long to get rid of the image as Berg was, and turned to look at her for the first time since she had stood in front of the bogart.

To his surprise- no, utter shock- Sasha Berg lay on the ground, staring blankly at her father's lifeless form, silently sobbing her eyes out.

Sirius had expected many things, but most certainly not this. Never once, no matter what anyone had done to her, had he ever seen Sasha Berg cry, or show even the slightest bit of wetness in her eyes for that matter. To see her cry, especially this hard, with this many tears, was just… unnatural.

It scared him.

He realized he had to do something, so he tried talking to Sasha. "Berg… just say the spell. Then we can go back out, and this'll all be over," he encouraged her.

Sasha's tears continued to flow. This time, however, she lowered her head and wrenched out in a shockingly hoarse, dry, broken voice, "My fault… all my fault…" Confused, Sirius looked back at Sasha's fear, and noticed something he hadn't noticed before: a Dark Mark hovered over the body of Sasha's father. _But then, why is Sasha calling it her fault? _Sirius wondered. However, turning back to his enemy, he knew he had to save that matter to think about another day.

"Come on, Berg," Sirius walked over to Sasha tentatively so that he was a few feet in to the right of her. "Just say the spell. Then we can leave, and pretend that this never happened."

Still no response other than Sasha's sorrowful muttering and the sound of the tears flooding onto the ground.

Sirius took a deep breath. At this point, he knew what the only thing he could do was. He stepped in front of Sasha, and before the image could fully change form, shouted, "Ridikulus!" Then, he hoisted Sasha up so that she was standing in front of him and silently, almost without thinking, wrapped his arms around her and pulled her against his chest.

His shirt instantly became soaked with Sasha's flood of tears. However, this wasn't what Sirius was thinking about; for once, he wasn't worried about his appearance. He was worried about how Sasha, his arch nemesis, who hated when he so much as _looked _at her, wasn't complaining about how he was touching her so closely. She was completely unresponsive; she wouldn't speak, besides the occasional mumbling of "My fault", and didn't even bother to try to push Sirius off. She just stood there, not bothering to fight… it was as if she was empty, and had no will at all left.

He was so immersed with his thoughts that he didn't notice the tingle that shot through his arms when he held her, nor how perfectly she fit in his arms, with her head just under his chin.

"Shh," Sirius murmured soothingly. "It was just a bogart. It's alright."

Sasha said nothing.

"He's alive," Sirius tried for a response again. "Your father's alive, and well, and healthy, and- and- and all that good stuff. He's alright."

The flood of tears slowed its pace a bit.

"He's probably at work right now, thinking of his treasured daughter, as we speak," Sirius continued, encouraged by the slight success of his last attempt for a response.

The tears stopped almost completely, and Sirius was overjoyed, though he didn't show it.

"He's probably writing you a letter write now, or thinking about what to write to you about, or something like that," Sirius told Sasha, in a last, desperate hope to stop her awful tears.

He succeeded. The tears stopped altogether. Sasha lifted her head, and wiped her eyes and nose before looking up at Sirius.

_Did- did Black just… _comfort _me? _Sasha thought wondrously, staring at him with burning curiosity.

"Damn, Berg; when you cry, you cry hard," Sirius said, quickly removing his arms as he saw that Sasha was alright.

Sasha shrugged. "I don't cry much. So when I do, I guess it just all comes out."

"I could see- and feel," Sirius gestured to his wet shirt jokingly.

"Sorry about that," Sasha apologized- sincerely, for once.

"Don't mention it," Sirius shrugged it off.

"Oh, I don't plan to; in fact, when we leave this room, I fully plan on going back to hating you again," Sasha spoke truthfully. After all, if she came out of the room not hating him anymore, people might get the wrong idea. Or, even worse, the _right _idea.

"Good; I plan on doing the same thing," Sirius nodded his agreement. "Oh, and by the way, Berg, you look even uglier than usual when you cry," he added, just for good measure.

"Black, you are _not _one to talk about other people being ugly; unless, of course, you want to be a hypocrite," Sasha retorted. _This is the life, _she grinned internally.

"_I'm _a hypocrite? Oh, that's rich," Sirius laughed.

"Hate to break it to you, Black, but you _are _a hypocrite."

"When have _I _ever acted like a hypocrite?"

"Whenever you insult me about looks, for starters! Not to mention when you insult me about brains, wealth, family…" Sasha trailed off, feeling she had made her point.

Sirius glared at her. He hated it when she brought up family. "I'm not being hypocritical when I'm telling the truth. Like, when I say that your father is a blob of a man. My git of a father is lots of things, but he's not fat."

Sasha landed a well-aimed kick on Sirius right where it counted (if you know what I mean…) right as Sirius actually comprehended what he had said, and instantly regretted it. _Did I seriously just insult her dad after finding out her worst fear is him _dead_?! Damn, maybe I _am _heartless, _he thought with a grimace as he bit his lip, clutching the part of him that Sasha had just kicked, trying his hardest not to cry out in pain.

"I warned you about insulting my father, Black," Sasha growled. Sirius couldn't help but be afraid of her; besides the fact that she had probably just rendered him incapable of having children, Sasha's usually brown irises were now so dark that you couldn't tell the difference between them and her pupil. "You know, Black, I just realized something," Sasha said suddenly, her eyes still that frightening black.

"Really? And what would that be?" Sirius asked through his teeth, which were clenched in pain.

"You're _just _like your family." This comment caught Sirius off-guard, and made him angrier than he could ever remember being in his life.

"I. Am. _Not. _Like. Them," Sirius hissed murderously.

"Yes, you really are," Sasha persisted her point. Before Sirius could say anything, she continued, "You may be the only Gryffindor in your family, Black, but you're _just _like them. You're all judgmental; you may not judge people based on blood, like they do, but you _do _judge people far too quickly based on appearances and stereotypes, and what other people have told you. You're all vain, too; you just care about how you look, what you wear, how people see you, and all that shit. You're all heartless; your family doesn't give a damn how many Muggleborns, Muggles, or even half-bloods die, and you don't give a fuck how people feel. None of you think before you do things, or say things, either; need I say anything more to explain? Not to mention, you're all arrogant and haughty, and each of you fucking Blacks think that you're God's gift to earth. You-"

"SHUT UP!" Sirius shouted, interrupting Sasha furiously. He hated what his enemy was saying; he wanted so badly to say she was lying, but he couldn't, and he hated that more than anything. After all he had done to be different, to be a better person than his evil family, Sasha was right: in a lot of ways, he was just like them. That didn't keep him from yelling at her, though. "JUST SHUT UUP!"

"The truth hurts, don't you think?" Sasha spoke in a grim monotone, looking him unnervingly in the eye. "I found that out a long time ago."

Sirius stood up and towered over Sasha once more. "I'm a lot of those things," he spoke after staring at her for a long, tense moment. "I know I am. But I'm _not _like my family. I'm not."

"You keep telling yourself that," Sasha hissed before turning on her heel towards the door. "I don't know about you, Black, but I'm itching to get out of this damn room." With that, Sasha all but threw open the door and practically stomped out in anger. Sirius did the same.

It seemed to the whole class that Sirius Black and Sasha Berg hated each other even more than they had before seeing the bogart. The class was right.

* * *

**_First of all: Thank you to all you people who reviewed my last chapter! I think I actually got seven! I love you all! I'm going to ask for five reviews before I update this time- I hope that's alright._**

**_Second: What'd you think, of course? Like it? Hate it? Any criticism (as long as it's constructive)? Believe it or not, I WELCOME criticism, as long as it's helpful to me, and not just something like, "Your story is bad, I hate it" (though you're welcome to say that if that's what you think; I just won't like it). Anyways, last chapter, I got a critical review- you know who you are- that I'm very grateful for, because the reviewer offered me a lot of good suggestions and tips on how to become a better writer and to improve this story. Any advice you can offer that could help me is more than welcome. :)_**

**_Third: ...Well, that's basically it! Thanks for reading, please review, yada yada!_**

**_-Joelle8_**


	11. In Which James Shoots Twice, Scores Once

In Which James Shoots Twice and Scores Once

Sasha, Delilah, Alice, Mary and Lily were discussing a very important matter at breakfast (or, more accurately, brunch) on Sunday, November 18. Or, rather, Sasha and Delilah were discussing it, while Alice, Mary and Lily were just sitting there and pretending to listen, when really, they were bored out of their minds.

"I mean, Quidditch tryouts should've been a week or so after school started!" Delilah exclaimed. "But we STILL haven't had them!"

"Who's the Captain?" Sasha asked. "We can talk some sense into them."

"I think it's Gregory Vane," Delilah replied, saying the boy's name with the utmost loathing. Sasha shuddered in disgust as well. Gregory Vane, the Gryffindor team's Keeper, was a Seventh Year, and, admittedly, quite good-looking. However, he was about as pervy as they came, and Sasha and Delilah, being the best looking girls on the team, were usually the objects of his undressing eye.

"Well, at least we know for sure we'll get on the team," Sasha grumbled.

"Sasha, you and I both know we would've made it anyways," Delilah chuckled.

"True that!" Sasha laughed. "And, on the bright side, at least we can use our… _charms _to get him to have tryouts already! I mean, the season really should've started!"

"Good point," said Delilah. "So, where is he?" She looked around the Hall for Vane, to no avail.

"Actually, come to think of it, I haven't seen him around this year," Sasha told her friend thoughtfully.

"I haven't either!" Delilah suddenly realized. "I haven't been pushed up on the wall against my will once since school started!" This caused an uproar of giggles from the girls, including Lily, Mary and Alice.

"Neither have I!" Sasha chortled. "You know, sometimes I wonder how Vane would react if I quit the Quidditch team," she mused out of the blue.

"Why do you wonder about _that_?" Lily questioned at the same time Delilah worriedly asked, "You aren't gonna quit, are you? We need you!"

"Don't worry, Delilah, I have no plans to quit the team," Sasha assured the tomboy, who sighed with relief. "And as for why I wonder about that, think about it: Vane, being the drama queen he is, tends to overreact. Imagine what he'd do if he lost his 'mouth-wateringly hot and sexy' (in his words) best Beater!"

"I resent that!" Sirius Black had, it seemed, walked by just as Sasha proclaimed herself the Quidditch team's best Beater.

"Black, we all know that Sasha's the best Beater on the Quidditch team; don't even try to deny it," Alice rolled her eyes, instantly jumping to her friend's defense.

"You're her friends; you can say that, but not really mean it," Sirius claimed haughtily. "_My _friends think that _I'm_ the better Beater!"

"Oh, really? Well, let's just ask them!" Delilah suggested. "OI! REMUS, POTTER, PETTIGREW! GET YOUR ARSES OVER HERE!" She yelled over to three-fourths of The Marauders. Only Remus acknowledged her, and walked over.

"Hiya, Brother!" Sasha greeted him jovially.

"Hi, Sister. Delilah, why did you scream for me, James and Peter?" Remus turned to Delilah.

"I'll tell you once they come over," Delilah said. "I take it they're ignoring me?" Remus nodded, chuckling at how well the girls knew his friends. Delilah sighed, and turned to Lily. "It's all up to you now, Lily," she told the redhead.

Lily sighed in annoyance, muttering, "Why must _I _be the victim of Potter's stalking?" under her breath. Then, a bit louder than necessary, she shouted, "POTTER! PETTIGREW! GET YOUR ARSES OVER HERE!"

James was up and out of his seat faster than the girls could blink, dragging his shorter friend over to the girls.

"Yes, Lilykins?" James asked, staring at Lily dreamily.

"Your idiot best friend here," Lily gestured at Sirius, glaring at James because of the use of the hated nickname, "is under the impression that he's the best Beater on the Quidditch team, and Sasha isn't. We wanted to know your opinion."

"Padfoot's the best Beater," James said automatically. "Might I add, Lilykins, that you look particularly stunning this morning, and would feel as wonderful as you look if you accompanied me on a Hogsmeade trip?"

"I hope you realize, Potter, that by telling me that, you're telling me that I'm the most hideous person on earth," Lily retorted.

"But I called you stunning, remember? So, you'd _feel _stunning if you went to Hogsmeade with me, too!" James explained, not catching Lily's rejection.

"No, Potter," Lily sighed in annoyance, glaring at him.

"You'll say yes one day, Lilykins, you will!" James wagged his finger at her, smiling to mask his hurt.

"Now that we've gotten that over with," Alice said, "Pettigrew, who's the better Beater, do you think? Sasha or Black?"

"Padfoot! He's the best Beater ever!" Peter squeaked, ever loyal.

"See? I'm the best Beater ever!" Sirius puffed his chest out in pride. All the girls rolled their eyes.

"What about you, Remus?" Mary asked quietly, turning to their favorite Marauder.

"No way, leave me out of this!" Remus crossed his arms defiantly.

"Why?" Lily asked.

"Sasha and Padfoot are both my friends! I can't choose one without hurting the other! And whoever I offend will kill me!" Remus exclaimed, looking decidedly worried.

"True," Sasha and Sirius laughed simultaneously. They turned on each other, glaring.

"HEY!" They shouted, turning on each other.

"Stop talking at the same time as me!" They both ordered the other while their friends watched in amusement.

"Why should I?!" They both retorted to each other, their faces coloring in anger.

"Because I said so!" After speaking at the same time yet again, Sirius and Sasha both groaned- simultaneously, I might add- and turned to their separate, laughing groups of friends.

"It wasn't funny," Sirius mumbled, crossing his arms heatedly.

"Yes it was," everyone but Sasha insisted in reply.

"No, it wasn't!" Sirius and Sasha responded at the same time. As their friends cracked up even more, both of them moaned, "Oh, not again," and glared at each other.

"Attention!" To Sasha and Sirius' delight, before either of them could speak at the same time as the other yet again, Professor Dumbledore stood in front of the students, and looked to be about to make a speech.

"I'm sure that many of you have noticed that Quidditch has yet to start this year," Dumbledore began, and his audience immediately broke out in disgruntled whispers about this before they were quieted with a wave of the Headmaster's arm. "This year, one of your Quidditch captains- Gregory Vane, of Gryffindor- went to Durmstrang as an exchange student for a few months. Your Heads of Houses decided that the Quidditch season will start after your Christmas vacation because of this, as Mr. Vane is returning later today. Your tryouts will take place this week, and you must go see your House's Quidditch captain for more information. And now, I will allow you to return to your undoubtedly scrumptious meals!" Dumbledore sat back down, and the students' chatter resumed again.

"So _that's _why Quidditch hasn't started yet!" Delilah exclaimed, slapping her palm on the table.

"It makes sense," Sasha nodded. "I never thought I'd say this, but I can't wait until Vane gets back! I miss being on my broom!"

"Same here!" Delilah nodded.

"Ditto!" James and Sirius exclaimed at the same time.

"Why am _I _always the one who says things at the same time as other people?" Sirius groaned. His friends and the girls laughed.

Later that day, after an uneventful lunch, the girls were walking through the hallways, laughing and joking good-naturedly, when an obnoxiously arrogant voice called out, "Well, if it isn't my two lovely Quidditch players, and their equally as lovely friends!"

"Back so soon, are you, Vane?" Sasha turned around, staring down her Quidditch captain, her eyes conveying her feelings of disgust for him. Gregory seemed not to notice this.

"Miss me, did you, Berg? Well, I missed you," Gregory said, making his voice deeper, swaggering up to her.

"Nobody missed you, Vane. Quidditch, yes; but not you," Delilah glared at him, arms crossed in a tough manner, covering her chest. The other girls thought it best to do the same thing.

"Ah, but you need to be nice to me, ladies. After all, don't you want to know when Quidditch tryouts are?" Gregory took another step closer to the girls.

"Just tell us, Vane, and we'll be on our way," Sasha said coolly.

"But what if I don't _want _you to be on your way?" Gregory took another step closer, so that he was practically on top of Sasha, but she held her ground. Leaning down so that his lips were by Sasha's ear, Gregory continued, "What if I won't tell you unless you give me something in _return_?"

To the girls' surprise, Sasha tilted her head up so that her lips were just barely brushing his ear. "If you tell me when Quidditch tryouts are, I'll give you something you'll _never_ forget," Sasha whispered seductively in his ear, taking another small step closer so that she was almost on top of the boy.

Gregory looked about as turned on as a boy could get. "Saturday, six days from now, at three o'clock," he breathed in Sasha's ear.

Sasha smiled, and said, "Thank you. Now, for your reward…" she changed her position, looking as if she was going to kiss Gregory, and leaned forward; Gregory closed his eyes in eager anticipation. At the last moment, though, Sasha stomped hard on Gregory's foot, and jumped back. Gregory howled in pain and clutched his foot, hopping around and glaring at Sasha.

"You don't honestly think I'd give you any of this, do you?" Sasha scoffed, running her hand along her figure. Her friends howled with laughter. "See you on Saturday, Vane," she chuckled, walking away from the injured boy. Still chuckling, her friends followed.

"Why'd you try to seduce him, Sasha?" Lily asked as they walked.

"Yeah, you scared us for a second there!" Alice scolded playfully.

"I wanted to see if it worked," Sasha shrugged innocently, grinning.

"Well, it did!" Delilah punched Sasha's shoulder lightly, smiling widely.

"I know. Oh, the joys of being a woman!" Sasha exclaimed, chortling.

"Yep!" Her friends agreed in unison.

It seemed like scarcely any time had passed at all since that Sunday, and before anyone knew it, it was Saturday, 3:00 PM, and the Gryffindor Quidditch hopefuls were standing out on the Quidditch pitch, brooms in hand.

"We'll try out Chasers first," Gregory declared, facing his fellow students. "I'll guard the hoops, and each person trying out for Chaser will get five chances to try to score. The three people who score the most will get the positions. Got it?" The students nodded. "Good. First up, Belinda Greyson!"

Belinda Greyson was a Fifth Year Gryffindor with bleached-blond hair, too much make-up, and a short-as-possible shirt and skirt. She was one of about forty-seven girls who were only trying out to be near Sirius and James; mostly Sirius, seeing as James clearly only had eyes for Lily, who was in the stands with Alice and Mary, watching Sasha and Delilah.

Upon mounting her broom and rising into the air, Gregory tossed Belinda the Quaffle, which she promptly dropped. Not even giving her a chance to fly, he shouted, "NEXT! Elizabeth Mayfield!" And Belinda slowly flew to the ground with a sigh, not bothering to argue.

Elizabeth was a Fourth Year, and looked incredibly nervous. However, when she rose into the air, she looked significantly more confident, and even made four out of five goals. Everyone cheered for her in encouragement; she was almost sure to be named a Chaser now.

"Delilah McPhee!" Delilah wasted no time in zooming into the air with ease and scoring five goals in the time it took most people to score one. She would undoubtedly be a Chaser again this year.

"WOO! GO, DELILAH!" Lily, Alice and Mary cheered from the stands.

"James Potter!" James was just as good as Delilah, and flew with just as much graceful ease.

"GO PRONGS! YEAH!" Sirius, along with Remus and Peter in the stands, roared.

"He shoots…" Sirius yelled as James through the Quaffle towards a goal post.

"…He scores!" Remus and Peter finished as the ball whooshed through the hoop.

James did a victory lap around the pitch before stopping at the stands, right in front of Lily. "Go out with me, Evans?" He asked loudly.

"He shoots…" Sirius shouted again, smiling amusedly.

"NO, Potter!" Lily rejected James yet again.

"…And he DOESN'T score!" Remus and Peter finished, laughing their heads off. James scowled at his friends and flew back down to the ground, where he proceeded to hit Sirius, who was laughing just as much as Remus and Peter, upside the head.

"Enough of that!" Gregory barked, frowning in annoyance at the boys. "If you don't mind, Potter, Black, I'd like to continue with tryouts!"

"Go right ahead, Vane; you have our permission," James sneered. Gregory glared at him before calling more names for Chaser. Finally, after three unsuccessful students and ten minutes, Chaser tryouts were done.

"Okay, the Chasers are James Potter, Delilah McPhee, and Elizabeth Mayfield!" Gregory announced, and the other kids clapped politely (excluding Sirius, Remus, Peter, Alice, Lily, Sasha, and Mary, who screamed at the top of their lungs). "Sorry to everyone else. Now, let's start Seeker tryouts! I'll let the Snitch go, and the first person to catch it is our Seeker. Get it? Got it? Good. Now, Seekers, get in the air!" The Seeker hopefuls flew into the air and hovered in anticipation. "Ready?" Gregory shouted up to them.

"Ready!" They shouted back.

"Okay… GO!" Gregory yelled, releasing the Snitch into the air. A few students immediately flew after it, while the rest stayed hovering in their place. After about three minutes, the team's Seeker from the year previously, Alex Walker, a spindly Third Year, caught the Snitch, and was proclaimed Seeker.

"Now, we're doing Beater tryouts, and then you can all go back to your dormitories!" Gregory announced. "Beaters, I'll assign you partners based on what I know of your skill, and I'll give everyone their own bats and a Bludger per pair. Whichever pair can hit the Bludger back and forth for the longest are my Beaters. Okay?"

"Okay," the Beaters replied.

"Good. Okay, so let's see… Smith, you go with Hunter; Farce, you with Linxe; Greggo, your partner is Wayne; and, last but not least, Black and Berg." As the captain said this, Sirius and Sasha turned towards each other and made a silent, temporary truce; both valued Quidditch too much to give up their positions. Gregory went around to each pair, handing out bats and Bludgers, and winked at Sasha. She visibly flinched, and mocked throwing up to Delilah, who giggled.

"Vane gets on your nerves, I take it, Berg?" Sirius guessed, observing Sasha's reaction to a mere wink from the boy.

"That's an understatement," Sasha replied, flying into the air. Sirius, not bothering to respond, followed, and stayed hovering across from her.

"Beaters ready?" Gregory shouted from the ground.

"Yep," the Beaters shouted.

"Then get hitting, on three!" Gregory commanded. "One… Two… Three!" On his mark, all the pairs began hitting their Bludgers back and forth.

Sirius and Sasha by far hit the hardest, and each time they hit, they successfully aimed the Bludger at their target: each other. Even from the ground and the stands, you could tell that they had experience.

"Not bad, Berg!" Sirius shouted gruffly, a few beads of sweat on his forehead after ten minutes of hitting the Bludger back and forth. "But I'm still better!"

"We'll see about that!" Sasha yelled back, whacking the Bludger at Sirius.

They kept hitting the Bludger at each other, back and forth, and, despite their success, looked a bit bored. Their last remaining opponents, a pair of two Seventh Year boys, were clearly exhausted. Finally, after seventeen tense minutes, one of the Seventh Years missed the Bludger, and the Marauders and Mary, Alice, Lily and Delilah cheered.

"You two can come down now, Black, Berg!" Gregory shouted up to them. "You're the Beaters!"

"Duh!" Sasha yelled back. "We're not blind, Vane!"

"Just come down!" Gregory replied, sounding disgruntled.

"Nah!" Sirius replied. "I have to beat Berg here first!"

"Well, your choice; just make sure to put the equipment away! I'm not staying to watch one of your personal fights!" Gregory retorted, tired. He and all the students who had tried out proceeded to put away their equipment and go back inside the castle, excluding James and Delilah. In the stands, Mary, Alice, Remus, Peter and Lily didn't seem to have any inclinations about going inside either.

"C'MON, SASHA!" The girls cried, clapping their hands in encouragement.

"DON'T LET A GIRL BEAT YOU, PADFOOT!" Peter and James yelled.

"WOO HOO!" Remus cheered, making sure not to cheer for anyone in particular.

Sasha and Sirius were silent in concentration. Both were fuelled by their competitive drives and their hatred for each other, not to mention pure adrenaline, and they had each made up their minds that they'd beat the other. The Bludger was a blur in the air for twenty more minutes until, right in between Sirius and Sasha, it exploded. Enraged, the two Beaters looked down to see who had made their Bludger explode, only to see Professor McGonagall staring at them sternly.

"Mr. Black! Miss Berg! Come down at once!" She ordered. The Beaters did so without a word.

"You know, Vane is going to be really mad when he sees his Bludger in ashes," Sirius commented when he landed in front of their Head of House.

"Another Bludger will be supplied," McGonagall said primly. "I have come to get you inside because of the approaching storm clouds. It looks as if it will snow, and students are not allowed to fly during blizzards, under any circumstances."

"That stinks!" Sasha exclaimed unhappily.

"That's life, Miss Berg," McGonagall said wisely. "Now, I suggest you and your friends go back inside the castle."

"Yes, ma'am," Sasha sighed, in evident annoyance, to her teacher. Then, turning so that she was facing the stands and her friends, she cried, "OI! GIRLS! LET'S GO INSIDE, BEFORE IT SNOWS! I'LL MEET YOU INSIDE THE CASTLE!" She vaguely heard the girls shout back their compliances, and watched them dash down to the grounds and run inside the castle, eager to avoid the imposing snowstorm. Sighing in annoyance once more, and shooting the sky a look that clearly said "This is all your fault," Sasha ran into the castle.

"You must go inside as well, Mr. Black," McGonagall commanded.

"Yes, Minnie," Sirius sighed, dashing inside the castle before the Professor could give him detention. His friends wisely followed.

"Those boys will be the death of me," Professor McGonagall muttered under her breath as she made her way back into the castle.

* * *

**_Thanks for all the reviews, everyone! I live for them! Please review- I need five before I update again! Tell me what you thought about this chapter! Sorry, I had forgotten to write Quidditch when I wrote the earlier chapters- oopsies! My bad! Feel free to hurt me! (Actually, please don't...)_**

**_Anyways, I hope you liked this chapter! Thanks for reading!_**

**_-Joelle8_**


	12. In Which Mary is the Snow Queen

In Which Mary Is The Snow Queen

"WAKE UP!" roared Mary- yes, quiet, soft-spoken Mary- bouncing on Lily's bed.

"Why must you jump on _my _bed, Mary?" Lily grumbled.

"It woke you up, didn't it?" Mary grinned. Lily only mumbled something incomprehensible under her breath. Ignoring this, Mary moved on to Alice's bed and, much like she had done with Lily, began jumping on the blonde's bed, shouting, "WAKE UP!"

"Mary, _why _are you jumping on my bed and shouting?" Alice asked irritably, sitting up.

"Look outside!" Mary replied, bouncing on Delilah's bed.

"Damn, Mary, how many times have I told you not to jump on my bed?!" Delilah exclaimed sleepily as she woke up almost immediately.

"You guys, help me wake up Sasha!" Mary said urgently in response, filling four buckets of water with speed that only comes from years of experience.

"Why are you in such a rush?" Alice asked, but grabbed a bucket of water all the same.

"I already told you, Alice," Mary sighed, handing buckets of water to Lily and Delilah and going to stand around Sasha's bed. "Look outside!"

"On three," Lily muttered. "One… Two… Three!" The girls dumped the buckets of water on Sasha, who awoke with a start.

"Black did it!" she shouted, jumping up, disoriented, by force of habit. Her friends roared with laughter as she glared at them. "I hope you guys realize that it's a Saturday, and I should be asleep right now," Sasha grumbled, muttering a drying spell for her hair.

"But, Sasha!" Mary protested. "Look outside!"

Sasha and the others did so, finally. "Ooooooooooh," they said, instantly understanding why their normally mild friend was so excited.

"'Oh'? All you can say is _oh_?" Mary asked in disbelief. "C'mon, show some excitement! It's the first snow of the season!"

"Pom-Pom has a point," Sasha commented, staring outside. "Is it just me, or is the snow calling to us?"

"I hear it, too," Alice giggled. "It's saying, 'Girls… girls… come outside… throw balls of me at each other…'. I think we should listen to it."

"Well, _I _don't," Lily proclaimed, flopping back down on her bed. "I'd rather stay inside, in the warmth."

"Oh, c'mon, Lily!" Delilah moaned. "Don't you want to play in the nice, fluffy, white snow?"

"No," Lily answered simply.

"What if I told you the Marauders were out there, and you'd get the opportunity to bombard James Potter with snow balls?" Sasha asked, a mischievous glint in her eyes.

"Potter's out there?!" Lily hopped up and rushed to the window. Indeed, the Marauders were outside, playing in the newly fallen snow. "What are we waiting for?! Let's go!" Lily exclaimed upon seeing this. Her friends laughed and ran around their room, putting on their heavy snow gear.

"SNOW!" Mary yelled in glee as she ran outside, promptly falling backwards into the blanket of the aforementioned cold, white fluff and moving her arms and legs to make a snow angel.

"Wow, Mary. The snow sure brings out your loud side!" Delilah laughed.

"Snow," Mary replied, jumping up from her perfect snow angel, "is the single best thing about winter, and the one and only reason it's my favorite season."

"Why do you like snow so much?" Alice raised an eyebrow.

"I'm not sure. But I _do _know that ever since I was four, I've always been able to make the hardest, biggest snow balls faster than everyone else could make their puny, soft ones. Plus, I always make perfect snow angels, and my snowmen and forts always stay together. So, you could say that I'm just a natural when it comes to snow, if that makes any sense," Mary rambled.

"Your strange talent for all things concerning snow can only mean one thing, Pom-Pom," Sasha spoke, her face serious. "YOU'RE THE SNOW QUEEN!" She blurted out, pointing at Mary accusingly.

"All hail the Snow Queen! All hail the Snow Queen! All hail the Snow Queen!" Sasha, Alice, Delilah and Lily chanted, kneeling at Mary's face.

"Stop it, guys," Mary giggled, blushing furiously. "People are staring!"

"As you wish, my Queen," Delilah stood up, bowing with a flourish as she did so.

"So…" Lily began, looking at her friends pointedly. "Time to murder the Marauders with snow balls yet?"

"Merlin, YES!" Sasha beamed. "I'm going to freeze Black's arse off, I'll hit it with so many snow balls!"

"Where _are _they?" Alice asked, looking around.

"Over there!" Delilah pointed a little ways off at where four boys were throwing snow balls at each other.

"Good eye, Delilah!" Sasha complimented. "Huddle up, everyone! What's our plan of action?"

"Well, they're right by the Lake," Mary started, "so we can walk over there like we're going to sit by the Lake, and then, when their back are turned and they least expect it, we charge!"

"Good plan, Pom-Pom," Sasha said. "Everyone agree?"

"Yep," the others chorused.

"Good. Now, remember: talk about random things! Don't make them suspicious!" Sasha ordered urgently. "C'mon, let's go!"

The girls walked towards the Lake, laughing about nothing and feigning innocence, keeping their eyes on the boys all the while. To their delight, the boys never even glanced their way- not even James- so immersed they were in their snow ball fight.

"On three," Lily whispered, eyeing James maniacally. "One… Two… Three!"

Crying, "Charge!" as their battle cry, the five girls rushed straight into the midst of the Marauders' snow battle and joined right in.

The Marauders were surprised, to say the least, when the girls began throwing snow balls at them. However, this surprise didn't last long; instead, the four friends joined forces to fight the girls as a team. They hid behind a massive fort- made by Sirius- that all of them could fit behind, and threw those snow balls like their lives depended on it.

The girls acted similarly; however, Mary and Delilah built a fort (in only seven minutes, mind you) that was tall, wide, strong and long enough that all of the girls could hide behind it. Mary clearly hadn't been lying about her skill with snow; her snow balls were easily the best, and she had impeccable aim, resulting in her always hitting her targets with a bang.

The boys were getting creamed.

Suddenly, a snow ball hit Alice's back, but from her side, rather than in front of her where the Marauders were. Turning around hastily, Frank Longbottom ran behind the Marauders' fort and sent her a wink.

"Saw your guys' situation. Thought you could use some help," Frank panted, crouching behind the boys' fort.

"Well, you're right," Remus nodded gravely, throwing a snow ball at Mary, which she expertly dodged in the nick of time. "Quick, start throwing!"

"Okay, but first, you guys, all of you should make your own snow balls; it saves time," Frank advised, glancing at poor Peter, who was rubbing his tired hands.

"Good idea," Sirius said. "Now let's throw!"

Frank proved to be quite handy with snow balls. He evened the nonexistent score in the fight within minutes.

"Girls!" Delilah exclaimed from behind the girls' fort. "We need to send some of us out from behind the fort."

"Why?!" Lily exclaimed indignantly.

"If we go out, then they'll go out, right?" Delilah said.

"Yeah," her friends replied.

"Well, if they go out from behind the fort, then we can hit them easier!" Delilah pointed out.

"Plus, it would actually be a lot more fun if we were running around," Sasha added, to general agreement.

"So, who goes out?" Alice asked.

"We need people who'll be lures," Delilah spoke thoughtfully. "Who do you think would be most likely to be followed if they went out there?"

"Lily," the girls (besides Lily) said in unison, looking at their redheaded friend.

"Fine," Lily huffed grumpily, "I'll do it. But Alice has to go, too!"

"Why me?!" Alice protested.

"Frank will follow you; we all know that he likes you," Mary explained. She was the only one of them still throwing snow balls and, amazingly, was managing quite well on her own.

"He does?" Alice asked, eyes wide. Her friends nodded. "YES!" She cheered, face glowing with happiness. "Okay, I'll go then!" She obliged, still beaming.

"Sasha should go," Delilah suggested.

"What?! None of those boys like me!" Sasha declared.

"But Black hates you with a passion," Delilah pointed out. "He'll definitely follow you, in hopes of beating you."

"Oh, I hate it when you're right!" Sasha said, disgruntled. Then, a devious, wolfish grin spread across her face. "On the other hand, this way I'll be able to show _my _skills… oh, yes, this could be _quite_ fun…"

"Okay, so we have our three lures," Mary said. "Lily, Alice, Sasha; go when you're ready," she instructed before turning her attention back to the snow.

"Ready?" Sasha asked Lily and Alice, an insane glint in her eyes.

"Ready," they nodded simultaneously.

"Okay… GO!" Sasha burst out from behind the fort, Lily and Alice right behind her.

"What are they doing?" Remus wondered aloud, staring at the three girls who had just come out from behind the fort.

"Which girls are they?" Frank asked, still throwing.

"It looks like…" Remus squinted in an attempt to see the girls better, "Lily… Sasha… and Alice."

"I'll go after them," James volunteered, eyes on the redhead.

"Me too," Frank said, staring at Alice.

"Well, I have to beat Berg, so I'd best go, too." Sirius glared at Sasha's rapidly approaching figure.

"Okay, you guys go; me and Wormtail will keep throwing behind here," Remus said.

"Good luck!" Peter squeaked. He received no response as James, Frank and Sirius rushed out from behind the fort and ran to follow the girls.

"They're coming!" Lily exclaimed. "Get ready!"

"Don't worry; I have a plan," Sasha muttered deviously. Crouching down, she made a pile of snow balls; then, pulling out her wand, pointed it at the snow balls and said, "Frozo Erecto!" The snow balls rose into the air. Sasha pointed her wand at the approaching boys, and said, "Waddiwasa!" The snow balls instantly fired themselves at Frank, Sirius and James.

"Whoa! Where'd you learn those spells?" Alice asked, staring at the now snow-covered boys.

"My cousin, Amelia, likes creating spells. She taught me those," Sasha replied. "Quick, make some snow balls. Then, charm them with the spell, 'Frozo Erecto'. Once you use that spell on the snow balls, say, 'Waddiwasa', and you'll be able to direct where the balls are going with your wand."

Lily and Alice didn't respond; instead, they were doing as Sasha instructed, with just as successful results. Sasha joined them, and the three girls continued bombarding the boys with snow balls.

The boys kept advancing, throwing their own, not nearly as good snow balls at Alice, Sasha and Lily. "You have to admire their bravery," Alice laughed to her friends, her cheeks rosy from the cold as she looked at the boys, her gaze lingering on Frank. Suddenly, the boys changed direction.

"Where are they going?" Lily asked, peering at the boys curiously, head cocked to one side.

"I dunno," Sasha replied, frowning in confusion. All of the sudden, a tornado of snow surrounded the girls, creating a thick wall of white around them that hid them from the rest of the world.

"AH!" Lily yelled as a set of hands grabbed her from outside of the tornado and pulled her out.

"LILY!" Alice and Sasha shouted.

"LET GO OF ME!" Alice screamed as a set of hands pulled her out of the tornado as well.

"ALICE!" Sasha screeched. _C'mon, Sasha, focus on getting out of this tornado, so you can help them! _Sasha told herself. Then, before Sasha could even think of a spell that would help, she, too, was pulled out of the tornado.

"GET YOUR FILTHY HANDS OFF ME!" She demanded at the top of her lungs.

"Your hands are filthier than mine, _Berg,_" the unmistakable voice of Sirius Black sneered.

"Where are Lily and Alice?" Sasha asked, glaring at her enemy viciously.

"James and Frank have them," Sirius shrugged. "They took them to our fort."

"Wait- so Lily and Alice are _prisoners_?!" Sasha yelled.

"As are you, Berg, as are you," Sirius chuckled. Ignoring Sasha's protests, and her fists pounding bruises into his back, he picked her up, slung her over his back like a potato sack, and ran back to his fort.

"Oh, they got you, too?" Alice moaned when Sirius dropped Sasha unceremoniously next to her and Lily behind the fort. All three of the girls had had their hands tied behind their backs, and their legs tied together as well; they assumed the boys had conjured the rope.

"Yep," Sasha sighed.

"He. _Touched. _Me," Lily growled. "POTTER TOUCHED ME! POTTER TOUCHED MY _LEGS_! I HAVE FUCKING POTTER GERMS ALL. OVER. ME! WHAT THE FUCKING HELL AM I SUPPOSED TO DO?!"

"Oh my Merlin…" Sasha breathed in sudden realization. "BLACK TOUCHED ME!" Hugging her knees, she began murmuring, "I'm scared… I have Black germs on me… Oh, Merlin, what if I'm infected with his idiot-ness? I DON'T WANNA BE AN IDIOT!"

"Sasha, Lily, you both need to calm down." Alice put a comforting hand on each of her friends' shoulders. "Once we get back inside the castle, you can both take long, hot showers and wash those icky Potter and Black germs off yourselves. Okay? Don't freak out."

"Easy for _you _to say," Lily grumbled. In a whisper, she continued, "You _fancy_ Frank! Hell, I bet you were _happy _when he touched you!"

"That's not that point!" Alice exclaimed, blushing, and _not _just from the cold. "Listen, stop thinking about Potter and Black, okay? We need to figure out a way back to Mary and Delilah!"

Suddenly, two battle cries rang throughout the grounds. Sasha turned to her friends, grinning. "Actually," she said, "I think _they're _coming to _us_!"

Mary and Delilah had been throwing like their lives depended on it for about fifteen minutes before it happened. All of the sudden, the snow balls ceased flying at the girls, and the girls stopped throwing their own snow balls in confusion. "MARY! DELILAH!" Remus shouted, popping up from behind his fort. "WE HAVE SOME PEOPLE YOU MIGHT WANT!"

"Oh, no," Mary groaned. "I bet Sasha, Lily and Alice got themselves captured."

"ARE THEY LILY, ALICE AND SASHA?" Delilah yelled back.

"YES!" Remus replied.

"WHAT DO WE NEED TO DO TO GET THEM BACK?"

"SURRENDER, AND WE'LL LET THEM GO!"

"HOLD ON!" Delilah cried, and turned to Mary. "What do we do?"

Mary thought for a moment, and then proclaimed bravely, "We go get them ourselves!"

"What should I tell Remus?"

"That we don't surrender, of course!"

"Okay!" Delilah said, and then, at the top of her lungs, regally cried to Remus, "NEVER!"

"ARE YOU SURE?" Remus asked back.

"WE'RE SURE!" Delilah answered.

"SUIT YOURSELVES!" Remus shrugged and went back behind his fort.

"Ready, Delilah?" Mary asked, turning towards her friend.

"Ready. Battle cry?"

"Definitely."

"AAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!" The two girls burst out from behind their fort and ran screaming to the Marauders' fort.

"FIRE ON THREE, DELILAH!" Mary shouted, louder than anyone had ever heard her before. "ONE… TWO… THREE!" She and Delilah shot hurriedly made snow balls at the boys as they got closer and closer to the fort. The boys returned fire, and had a slight advantage, outnumbering Mary and Delilah and not having to move.

"Delilah, you go free Sasha, Alice and Lily; I'll take care of these guys," Mary ordered. Delilah nodded her consent, and as Mary called, "FEEL THE WRATH OF THE SNOW QUEEN!" the tomboy snuck behind the boys' fort with surprising stealth for such a tall girl.

"Psst! Delilah! Over here!" Alice, Lily and Sasha hissed at Delilah. The tomboy rushed over to her friends.

"They _tied you up_?!" Delilah exclaimed murderously.

"Yes, and we'll kill them later, Delilah; right now, please, just get us out of here!" Alice pleaded.

"Okay," Delilah muttered, and pulled out her wand. "Incendio," she murmured, pointing her wand at the rope around Alice's wrists. The rope burned apart, and Delilah blew the flames out just before Alice got burned. She did the same with the rest of the ropes for Sasha and Lily.

"Thanks, Delilah!" Lily said gratefully.

"Anytime. C'mon, let's go!" Delilah ran back into the thick of the fight- a.k.a., between the two forts, where Mary currently resided- and Alice, Sasha and Lily followed quickly.

"Hey! How'd the prisoners escape?" Sirius asked loudly, noticing the girls. Then his eyes fell on Delilah. "McPhee," he murmured viciously.

"Yeah, it was me alright!" Delilah exclaimed proudly. "And now, we'll give you boys about five seconds to run before we beat your sorry arses. Ready?" The boys gulped and ran like their lives depended on it; all snow balls ceased.

"One… FIVE!" Lily roared angrily, chasing after the boys. Sasha, Alice, Delilah and Mary followed.

"Aqua Eructo!" Sasha cried, close behind Sirius. A jet of clear water sprouted from her wand, and she began whipping her enemy with it, using all her strength. (Now, one would think the water wouldn't be solid enough to be used as a whip; but we must remember, it's winter, and the water was freezing all too easily, and much quicker than Sirius would've liked.)

"Ouch!" Sirius yelped repeatedly as Sasha continually hit him. Looking around, he saw the other girls doing similar things to his fellow boys. A ball of fire was following a screaming James; from Lily's triumphant face, it had to have been her doing. Mary was just throwing snow ball after snow ball at Remus, who winced each time one of the rock solid balls hit him. Delilah didn't have to do anything besides run to scare Peter; it was quite hilarious, actually. A flock of little yellow birds was chasing Frank, pecking him all over as Alice giggled behind him.

Eventually, the ten Sixth Years made their way into the castle, where all of the spells abruptly stopped. Mary, Delilah, Alice, Sasha and Lily smiled smugly.

"Well, I'd say we won that," Delilah declared, putting her hands on her hips, satisfied.

"Yes, we most certainly did," Mary agreed, grinning broadly.

"And if you'll excuse me, I need to go wash off Black germs," Sasha said, turning to the staircase leading to the Gryffindor common room- but not before glaring daggers at Sirius' smirking face.

"I call using the bathroom first!" Lily called, following her after all but killing James with her eyes. "I have to wash off Potter germs!"

"Use the Prefects' bathroom; it's there for a reason!" Sasha replied, rushing upstairs. Lily chased after her.

"Bye, boys," Mary, Delilah and Alice laughed. "We need to make sure our friends don't kill each other." With that, they followed Lily and Sasha up to the Gryffindor common room.

"Well, I'm going to go see if there's any mistletoe up by the common room yet; there could be, there's only a week and a half until Christmas, after all!" Frank declared.

"Hoping to catch a certain Miss Prewett under some mistletoe, eh, Frank?" Sirius elbowed him teasingly, waggling his eyebrows.

"Maybe," Frank blushed, smiling deviously, before rushing up to the common room.

"Er, um, guys, I really have to use the bathroom, so…" Peter trailed off.

"Go ahead, Wormtail," Sirius waved his shorter friend away. Peter squeaked his thanks and scurried up to the bathroom.

"That was wonderful," James sighed. Remus and Sirius looked at him strangely.

"What was so great about it?" Remus asked.

"I got to touch Lily," James sighed dreamily, staring into space.

It took about three seconds for Sirius to have a realization. "HOLY SHIT, I TOUCHED BERG! I HAVE BERG GERMS! I HAVE TO GO SHOWER!" Not bothering to say anything more, Sirius hurried up to the common room.

Remus chuckled. "He really hates Sasha, doesn't he?"

"Yeah," James nodded. "Should we follow him to the common room?"

"There's nothing better to do," Remus shrugged his compliance, and the two friends walked up to their common room.

* * *

**_Wow, thanks for all the reviews, everybody! FOURTEEN! YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I still need at least 5 reviews before I update again, and I have to make one tiny request: PLEASE don't review more than once! While it's flattering, I'd like to hear different peoples' opinions (I'm talking to you, Leah)!_**

**_Anyways, I hope you liked this chapter! Thanks for reading!_**

**_-Joelle8_**


	13. In Which Sirius Has a New Flavor

In Which Sirius Has A New Flavor

When Mary, Delilah, Alice, Lily and Sasha walked down to breakfast on Tuesday, December 3, they were greeted with a sight so utterly disgusting that they were extremely thankful that they hadn't eaten breakfast yet.

"Remus!" Sasha exclaimed, running over to her friend and averting her eyes as she rushed past the said horrific sight. "How can you _eat _next to that?!"

"Practice," Remus replied gravely, glancing over at the aforementioned sight for a brief second before shuddering and turning away.

"I feel really bad for you right now, Remus," Lily said sympathetically, looking anywhere but at the disgusting sight and James Potter, who was trying desperately to catch her eye.

"I don't blame Frank for not eating with you guys," Alice told Remus.

"We don't either," Remus, James and Peter answered in unison.

"Should one of us interrupt them?" Delilah asked mischievously.

"Why would we do that?" Mary asked in her quiet way.

"For fun, of course!" Delilah replied as if it was obvious. "So, who wants to do it?"

"I will!" Sasha volunteered automatically, looking ecstatic. "Oh, this will be fun…" She proceeded to cackle maniacally.

"We've tried stopping it before," Peter squeaked. "Nothing works!"

"Watch and learn, boys, watch and learn," was all Sasha said. Then, turning to the sight, she barked, "Oi! Black! You're supposed to eat the _food_, notthe poor girl's face!"

Sirius detached his lips from the lips belonging to the girl sitting on his lap. "Mind your own business, Berg," he glared. "Besides, I don't think that Lola here minds," he continued, looking back at Lola, who giggled.

"Listen, whether she wants to get her heart broken by you or not,_ some_ people here want to eat," Sasha told Sirius, annoyed. "So, if you're going to snog her, _don't do it at the table_!"

"You know, Berg," Sirius said, feigning thoughtfulness, "just because you asked me not to, I think I will!" With that, Sirius went back to snogging Lola, and the people around them had to avert their eyes once more.

"So, how long have Black and his new flavor of the week been together?" Lily asked. She and her friends tended to call Sirius Black's many girlfriends "flavors of the week", because they were many, varied, and changed almost weekly.

"Last night in the common room," James answered. "She came in rather… er… scantily clad, let's say, and, well… _that _happened." He gestured to the awful sight briefly. "But she wasn't nearly as divine as you, Lilykins; nobody could ever be," he added hastily.

"Potter, you really need to learn how to _shut up_," Lily growled, rubbing her temples. Once again, onlookers were awed by just how easily and quickly James Potter could annoy Lily Evans.

"Well, I'm hungry!" Delilah declared all of the sudden. "I'm going to get food!"

"I'll come, too! I'm starving!" Sasha exclaimed. "What about you girls?" She asked, turning to Alice, Lily and Mary.

"We're coming!" Alice chirped. Following this statement, the girls went to their usual section of the table, and proceeded to eat a mercifully Sirius-Black-and-his-flavor-free breakfast.

"Sasha," Remus panted, running up to his almost-sister in the hallway after Charms, "save me!"

"What's wrong, Remus?" Sasha asked, genuinely concerned for her friend. He was out of breath from the speed at which he'd been running to catch up with her; something he only did when the situation was urgent, because he hated running with a passion.

"Padfoot hasn't stopped snogging his latest girlfriend _all day_," Remus groaned. "I can't take it anymore!"

"You want to sit with me and the girls during lunch?" Sasha offered sympathetically.

"I can?" Remus asked. Sasha nodded. "Oh, thank Merlin, Sasha! You're a lifesaver!"

"It's all a matter of imagining yourself in a person's shoes," Sasha shrugged. "And when I imagine being in _your _shoes right now, I automatically have an urge to blind myself."

"Don't forget deafening yourself," Remus grimaced. "The noises they make; you'd think that the teachers would notice! I mean, sure, it's mostly in the hallways between classes, but teachers are still around! And even Binns isn't deaf! Honestly-"

"Um, Remus?"

"Yeah?"

"You're giving me bad mental images. I'd rather not throw up right before lunch, because if I do, none of my friends will let me eat anything."

"Sorry. I'll shut up about Padfoot now."

"Thank you."

Sasha and Remus walked over to where Alice, Lily, Mary and Delilah were sitting and eating. Sasha asked, "Hey, can Remus sit with us today? Black is still being disgusting."

"Sure!" The girls chirped in response. Remus smiled gratefully and sat down between Sasha and Mary. The six ate in silence, all of them enjoying their lunches and not having anything to talk about for a few minutes, until their peaceful state was interrupted.

"Moony!" James Potter barked, strutting over to the girls. Lily immediately hid herself behind Delilah's tall stature. "Why did you abandon us to deal with Padfoot by ourselves?"

"The girls told me I could sit with them. You don't honestly think I'd refuse an offer to get away from Padfoot and his girlfriend, do you?"

"It's called being loyal to your friends!" James retorted sourly. "You shouldn't have left me and Wormtail to deal with him!"

"Yeah!" Peter squeaked. "Have you _heard _the _noises _they make?! It's like-"

"Pettigrew!" Delilah interrupted him. "We're eating! Shut your trap if it's gonna talk about that kind of stuff!"

Peter squeaked a frightened apology before becoming silent again.

"Can we sit with you?" James begged the girls. "Padfoot's my best mate, but I can't sit near him when he's doing that stuff!"

"Conference!" Sasha barked, turning to her friends. "Listen, girls- and by girls, I mean Lily- I know you hate them; I do, too. But, what if you were in their position? Do we really want to make them _eat _by that?" She pointed to where Sirius and Lola were snogging the daylights out of each other, seemingly having forgotten that there were other people around.

"Yes," Lily replied quickly.

"Come on, Lily," Mary reasoned, "it's just for today. Do you _really_ hate them enough to force them to endure that sickening sight? Don't answer that," she added quickly when Lily opened her mouth to respond. Lily pouted and crossed her arms.

"Well, as much as I hate Potter and Pettigrew, I don't hate _anyone_ enough to make them eat by _that_," Delilah interjected.

"Same here," Alice agreed. The girls turned their gazes to Lily.

Lily stared back at them for a minute before sighing grumpily, "Oh, fine! They can sit here! But it's _just _for today, and Potter _cannot _sit next to me!"

"There's that nice Lily we all know and love!" Sasha exclaimed cheerily, patting the redhead's head teasingly. Lily swatted her hand away irritably, and Sasha chuckled and turned to face James and Peter. "Okay, boys, you can eat with us for today. But _only _for today, and Potter isn't allowed to sit next to Lily!"

"Aw, man!" James moaned, sitting down between Alice and Delilah. Peter only smiled at them gratefully and sat down between Mary and Remus.

"He doesn't usually snog his flavors _this _much, does he?" Delilah asked, glancing at where James and Peter were formerly sitting.

"He does with his first flavors of the year," James replied matter-of-factly.

"Wait- it's December already, and you're telling me that Black hasn't had a flavor until _now_?" Alice clarified skeptically.

"Yep," the boys chorused.

"Three months without breaking a girl's heart? Must be a record for him," Sasha remarked.

"Hey! He doesn't always break the girl's heart!" James defended his friend.

"Really?" Sasha raised an eyebrow. "Last time I checked, he snogs the girl- sometimes shags her, even- and is in a so-called 'relationship' with her for about a week before dumping her and immediately moving onto a new BBB!"

"What's a 'BBB'?" Peter asked, confused.

"'BBB' stands for 'Brainless Blonde Bimbo'," Lily replied. "Though, depending on the girl, 'Bimbo' can sometimes be replaced by 'Bitch' or 'Bint'."

James laughed like Lily had just said the funniest thing in the world. His companions stared at him quizzically. "Prongs, why are you laughing like that?" Remus asked after a few minutes of listening to his friend's crazed laughter.

"I thought you were supposed to laugh when the person you fancy makes a joke!" James stopped laughing and replied.

"Not like _that_," Remus groaned. "Maybe a light, short chuckle or something, but… not that. It just freaks people out."

"Did it freak you out, Lilykins?" James asked the redhead.

"Most things you do freak me out, Potter, but that did especially," Lily moaned, her head on Mary's comforting shoulder. "And, once again, _don't call me Lilykins_!"

"Damn!" James swore.

The rest of lunch went basically like that; one of them would say something slightly random, often pertaining to Sirius; Lily would comment about that topic; James would try to woo her, and would be unsuccessful; and everyone would laugh at him. Needless to say, it was one of the more interesting lunches they had ever experienced.

"I'm surprised at you, Black," Sasha commented out of the blue during Potions class later that day.

"Why?" Sirius asked suspiciously.

"You went three months without a girlfriend," Sasha replied simply. "Is that your new record?"

"No; I actually went over a year without a girlfriend once," Sirius retorted proudly.

"_After _Second Year, Black," Sasha rolled her eyes.

"Oh. Then, yes, it is a new record!" Sirius told her.

"Typical," Sasha muttered under her breath, shaking her head.

"Hey! What's so 'typical'?" Sirius asked.

"You're _proud_ of only going without a girlfriend for three months at the most!"

"How is that a bad thing?"

"You _use _all of those girls, Black. You toy with their emotions. All you do is snog and shag them; have you ever considered that that might hurt them? Some of them actually _like _you, for whatever reason, and what do you do? You pretend to feel the same way about them just so you can get in their pants!"

"I don't- I mean, I- well, it's not- I don't try to get in every girl's pants, Berg!" Sirius scowled. "You're just jealous!"

"Jealous of _what_?"

Sirius thought for a moment before answering, quite confidently, "Me and my girlfriends!"

This comment made Sasha laugh so hard that she couldn't breathe, and her rib cages ached. Finally, after a few minutes of this heavy laughter, she panted, "Black, I don't know what drug you're on, but it's damaging your mental stability! Why would _I _be jealous of _you _and your _girlfriends_?"

"Well, Berg," Sirius responded, "You'd be jealous of me because more girls chase after me than boys will ever chase after you. You'd be jealous of my girlfriends because they've gotten the chance to snog me and sometimes even shag me."

Sasha stared at Sirius in silent shock. A minute went by. Then another. And another. Finally, Sasha spoke. "Black, you know that there are support groups to help drug addicts and alcoholics, right? We can get you help. I bet Lily could help find some Muggle organizations, maybe some medicine-"

"Berg, what are you blabbering on about?" Sirius cut her off, staring at her in confusion.

"Black, don't deny it! You need to get help- it's for your own good!" Sasha insisted.

"I honestly I no clue what you're talking about, Berg."

"I'm _talking _about your drug addiction!" Sasha exclaimed, exasperated. "And your alcoholism!"

"Hold up. What makes you think that I'm addicted to drugs and alcohol?" Sirius asked, suppressing a chuckle.

"Isn't it obvious? The only way you'd ever delusion yourself into thinking that I had any feelings for you that were anything _close _to that of a fangirl's would be if you had gone crazy with booze or marijuana or something bad and illegal like that!" Sasha explained.

"I don't _really _think you wish you were one of my girlfriends, Berg!" Sirius declared. "I'm well aware of the fact that I positively repulse you and you detest me with ferocity."

"So you're not on drugs?"

"No."

"Or an alcoholic?"

"No."

"Good, because I don't want that kind of stuff found in Remus' room; he might get in trouble, and he already has to deal with enough shit," Sasha sighed in relief.

"Amen to that," Sirius muttered, wondering just how much Sasha knew.

"Oh, and Black?" Sasha said. "If you know how much I loathe you, what makes you think that I'm jealous of you?"

"Simple. I have over half of the female population at Hogwarts chasing after me. But you don't have anywhere _close _to that many boys chasing after _you_," Sirius replied.

"What gave you that idea?" Sasha chortled. "Is it because I'm not constantly snogging boys or getting locked in broom cupboards? Just because I'm not a whore, Black, doesn't mean that boys don't wish I acted like one."

"Prove it," Sirius stated. "Prove that you're as wanted by the boys as I am by the girls."

"Ask every boy you know if they think that I'm sexy; then you'll have your answer," Sasha instructed just as that class ended. "Tell me what you find out," she called behind her as she dashed out of the room, wondering if her enemy could hear the smirk in her voice.

"Argh!" Sirius groaned in aggravation, flopping down on the couch in the common room. "I can't believe it!"

"What's wrong, Pads?" James asked, going over to his friend.

"Berg claimed that she's as popular with guys as I am with girls. She told me to ask every boy I know if they think she's sexy, and then I'll know whether or not she's right. And I've done that, I've asked every boy I know, in every House and every Year, and _all of them think she's sexy_! Well, except for the Firsties, they just think she's pretty, same with the Second Years and most of the Third Years," Sirius exclaimed, frustrated.

"You thought that Berg wasn't wanted by most of the guys in school?" James inquired wondrously. "Have you _seen_ how they look at her? Or, more specifically, her arse?"

"They stare at her arse?"

"All. The. Time."

For some reason, this knowledge- that Sasha Berg was wanted by almost every boy, and that most of them tended to stare at her arse- made Sirius angry. Very, very angry. But there was something else there, too; something that Sirius wasn't used to feeling. What was it? It made him want to bite the heads off of all the boys who wanted Sasha; but why? What was the feeling?

Sirius was so angry by the whole situation that he inadvertently growled. James looked at him strangely.

"Padfoot, did you just _growl_?"

"Why would I _growl_?" Sirius asked, expertly hiding the truth.

"I dunno, maybe because you're angry and jealous?" James suggested.

"Wh- I- no- I'm not angry! Or jealous!" Sirius contradicted.

"Don't try to deny it, Pads. I _know _you. You're angry _and _jealous right now," James insisted. Sirius would've loved to have been able to deny this truthfully, but something told him that his best friend was right. He groaned- so _that _was the unknown feeling. Jealousy.

"Prongs, I don't even know why I'm angry! And I especially don't know why I'm jealous!" Sirius complained, exasperated.

"Well, you could be angry because Berg was right, and jealous because she's almost even more wanted than you," James speculated, "Or, you could be angry at the boys you talked to because they think Berg is sexy, and you could be jealous because you don't like the thought of boys thinking of Berg like that."

Sirius looked at James like he had sprouted a pig snout and ears to match. "What makes you think _that_?"

"I dunno; I guess it _is_ kind of farfetched," James shrugged.

"Glad you realized that; maybe I don't have to take you to an insane asylum after all," Sirius said in relief. "I'm angry because she was right, and jealous because she's almost more wanted than me- even though that's extremely unlikely, considering I'm Sirius Black!" he decided. Just then, Sasha walked in with Lily.

"LILYKINS!" James shouted excitedly. "Oh, how I have missed seeing your beautiful face! Wilt thou do me the honor of accompanying me to Hogsmeade?"

"No, Potter, I won't. And I inquire yet again, how many times must I reject you for you to get the message through your abnormally thick head?" Lily moaned, irked. Taking a deep breath, she turned to Sasha and said, "I'm going up to the dorm, Sasha. I'll see you up there."

"Want me to come with you?" James waggled his eyebrows.

"EW! _Never_, Potter!" Lily exclaimed, running up to her dormitory as fast as her legs could carry her.

Once her friend was gone, Sasha sighed, shaking her head. "Potter, why do you constantly ask her out?" she asked James.

"One day she'll say yes," James replied confidently.

"Not if _that's _your strategy!" Sasha snorted.

"Then what should I do?" James asked. "Please, Berg, help me. I really like Lily!"

"You don't just want to go out with her because she's the only girl who ever rejected you?" Sasha raised one eyebrow questioningly.

"Well, that was it at first. But then, I started watching her, and I realized what a kind, caring, wonderful, beautiful, stunning, intelligent person she is, and, well… I fell for her."

Sasha blinked in surprise. "Wow, Potter… that was actually a really nice thing to say." She paused, looking thoughtful. "You know, I might just help you out."

"Really?" James looked like his birthday had come early. "Thank you, thank you, thank you!" he exclaimed, standing up and hugging Sasha in appreciation.

"OFF!" Sasha yelled. Sirius chuckled and James released his hold on her immediately. "I'm not a huggy person, Potter; you'd do well to know that."

"Right," James nodded. "So, what do I do to get Lily to like me?"

"I'll write everything down, and give it to you around Christmas or something," Sasha said. "I really don't feel like doing it now, and it's just easier for me to write everything down."

"Fine," James grumbled. "But why can't you write the list now?"

"I told you; I don't feel like it. Besides, if you give me until Christmas, I'll have time to write down things as I think of them," Sasha explained.

"Okay. Thanks, Berg!" James said gratefully. After a moment, he added, "You know, Berg, you're not as bad as I thought."

"Thanks, Potter," Sasha replied in surprise. "You may not be as bad as I thought, either." She smiled at James, and then turned to Sirius. "So, Black, what'd you find out?" she asked. "I'm curious- who was right, you or me?"

"You," Sirius mumbled under his breath, disgruntled.

"What was that? I couldn't quite hear you," Sasha cupped a hand over her ear, smiling smugly.

"You were right," Sirius admitted, louder this time.

"I usually am, Black," Sasha smirked before trotting up to her dormitory.

"I hate that witch," Sirius grumbled, glaring at the steps to the girls' dormitory.

"SIRI!" Lola squealed, dashing into the common room and straight onto Sirius' lap.

"Hey, Lola," Sirius greeted, his voice suddenly lower and seductive. "Have I told you that you look smokin' hot today?"

Lola giggled before engaging in a battle of tongues with Sirius. James shuddered before running up to his dormitory without even bothering to say goodbye.

* * *

**_Wow, 9 reviews! And all from DIFFERENT PEOPLE! Thanks, everybody! _**

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**_-Joelle8_**


	14. In Which Filch is Nice

In Which Filch Is Nice

"MARY!" Lily roared upon entering the Seventh Year Gryffindors girls' dormitory after Potions on Thursday, December twelfth. "I need you!" Mary instantly scurried to her friend's side, and the redhead laid her head on the quiet girl's shoulder with a heavy sigh.

"What's wrong, Lily?" Alice asked.

"Potions was _murder _today!" Lily groaned. "Potter wouldn't. Stop. Complimenting me!"

"Oh, you poor girl," Delilah said sympathetically, rolling her eyes. Lily, however, did not see this, and therefore was thoroughly convinced of Delilah's sincerity. Poor, naïve girl.

"Why won't he leave me alone?" Lily moaned.

"Because he's obsessed with you, of course!" Sasha answered, not bothering to hide her amusement at the whole situation.

"It was a rhetorical question," Lily glared at her. Sighing again, she breathed, "Mary, you have a very comfortable shoulder."

Mary chuckled, patting Lily's head. "I've been told, thanks."

"You want some hot cocoa?" Alice offered. "I could get some from the kitchens for you."

"Yes, please," Lily sighed, the mere thought of hot cocoa cheering her up.

"Ooo! I want some cocoa!" Sasha bounced up and down in excitement. "Can you bring me some too?"

"I only have two hands- and I need them for me and Lily's cocoa!" Alice laughed. "If you want some, you have to come and get it yourself."

"Okay," Sasha shrugged in agreement. "Who else wants cocoa?" When none of the girls raised their hands, Sasha sighed, "Suit yourselves," and skipped happily out of the dorm. Alice followed with a giggle at her friend's antics.

"Mistress Sasha! Mistress Alice! What can Bebo get for you?" Bebo the House Elf squeaked excitedly, overjoyed at having students in his kitchen.

"Three cups of hot cocoa, please," Sasha answered, smiling.

"Of course! We get Mistresses cocoa right away!" Bebo exclaimed cheerily. He and two other House Elves proceeded to prepare three steaming hot cups of chocolatey goodness.

"Would Mistresses like marshmallows?" Bebo asked as he and the other two House Elves handed the girls their mugs of hot cocoa.

"Yes, please!" Alice chirped, taking a contented sip of her drink. One of the House Elves scurried away, and brought back a whole package of marshmallows.

"Is this good?" the House Elf checked.

"Perfect!" Sasha said, taking the bag from the House Elf. "Thank you so much, all of you! It's delicious, as always!"

"Mistress Sasha is too kind!" Bebo squealed. "No thanks needed! Come back soon!"

"Don't worry, we will," Alice laughed, and all of the House Elves hopped excitedly in anticipation. "Goodbye!"

"Bye!" The House Elves called as Sasha and Alice exited the kitchens and made their way back to Gryffindor Tower.

"Hot cocoa, right here!" Alice yelled, handing a mug to a grateful Lily, who lifted her head off of Mary's shoulder.

"You two are lifesavers," Lily sighed after taking a long, hot sip.

"We know," Sasha chuckled. Suddenly, a thought occurred to her. "Wait a minute, what time is it?"

Delilah checked her watch. "It's almost nine o'clock."

Sasha sprang up out of her seat, set her cocoa down, and hurriedly cast a Heating Charm on it. "Holy shit, I have to go! Bye, guys!" She ran out of the room as her friends shouted their confused goodbyes.

"I'm so sorry I'm late, Professor Dumbledore," Sasha panted, entering the Headmaster's office. "Potter had really annoyed Lily, so she wanted hot cocoa, and so did Alice, and so did I, so Alice and I went to get hot cocoa from the kitchens for us, and I just lost track of time!"

"It's quite alright, Sasha," Professor Dumbledore forgave her kindly. "Please, take a seat; you look quite worn out. Did you run all the way up here?"

"Yeah," Sasha smiled sheepishly.

"Well, I'm pleased that our lessons mean so much to you," Dumbledore chuckled, blue eyes twinkling good-naturedly. "This is why I'm afraid that I'll disappoint you when I tell you that this is our last lesson before the holiday break."

"But what about next Thursday?" Sasha asked in confusion and, indeed, disappointment. "Shouldn't that be our next lesson?"

"Unfortunately, Sasha, I'll be out of town next Thursday," Dumbledore said.

"Why?" Sasha inquired curiously.

Dumbledore sighed desolately before admitting, "There have been a number of Death Eater attacks recently. The Ministry would like me to look into it."

"Oh. That makes sense," Sasha said quietly. "So, what exactly does the Ministry want you to look into?"

"I predict that they will just want to speak to me and see what I know; in any case, my meeting with the Minister is on Thursday, at the Ministry."

"Okay. Well, then I hope that all goes well."

"Thank you, Sasha. I hope it does, too. Shall we start today's lesson?"

"Yes, please!" Sasha exclaimed eagerly, her smile returning and lighting up her face. "What are you gonna teach me today?"

"We will not be reviewing Legilimency or Occlumency today; I think we've done quite enough of that, and I'm sure you agree," Dumbledore told Sasha. Indeed, they had reviewed those branches of magic in all of their lessons since the beginning of the year. "Today, we will be starting a new lesson, which we will continue after the holiday break. This branch of magic is one that very few people know of; in fact, even Lord Voldemort himself does not know it exists. Do you know what the Elements are, Sasha?"

"I think so. Aren't the Elements water, earth, fire and air?" Sasha clarified.

"Yes. I will be teaching you how to control and manipulate the Elements. Hopefully, by the end of your Sixth Year, you will be able to wield the Elements skillfully enough to be able to fight with them if necessary," Dumbledore explained.

"That is SO COOL!" Sasha shouted joyfully, bouncing in her seat. "What do I have to do first?"

"First, you must choose which Element you'd like to learn how to control first," Dumbledore spoke. "If you would like, we could discover which Element you are most compatible with- in other words, which Element you are most like- and begin with that Element; it would be significantly easier for you."

"I'd like that," Sasha said. "How do I find out which Element I'm most compatible with?"

"Just say, 'Elementus Revelio', with your eyes closed, and tell me what you see in your mind," Dumbledore instructed.

"Elementus Revelio," Sasha proclaimed, eyes shut. Almost immediately, she saw hot flames burning through her mind, rising high above everything in its way, burning down each obstacle it faced immediately. Sasha opened her eyes. "I see fire," she told Dumbledore.

"Something told me you would," Dumbledore chuckled. "Now, this should not be too hard; in fact, I wouldn't be surprised if you mastered fire in our lesson today!"

"What do I do?" Sasha questioned, more than ready to begin.

"I will send you a fire ball. Using your mind, stop the ball before it hits you or anything else. Still using your mind, control the fire; change its shape, make it move, do anything you want with it. Use your hands if you must, but our long-term goal is for you to be able to control the Elements with only your mind. Therefore, your enemies would not be able to tell who was controlling the Elements, and you would have an extremely helpful element of surprise assisting you," Dumbledore explained. "Do you understand?"

"Yes."

"Are you ready?"

"Yes."

"Okay. I'm sending the fire ball now." Dumbledore picked up his wand and muttered "Lacarnum Inflamarae," his wand pointed straight at Sasha. A fire ball shot out of the wand and towards Sasha.

Using all of her Gryffindor courage, Sasha thought merely, _Stop_, just before the fire reached her. The ball of fire stopped in midair and hung there, as if suspended on a rope. Smiling at her success, and still making no movement, Sasha thought, _Move left_, and the fire did do. She commanded in her mind, _Change shape, _and the fire ball turned into a perfect rectangular prism. _Change into a cylinder, _she thought, and the fire did so. She mentally ordered, _Get bigger_, and the fire turned from the size of a Snitch to the size of a Quaffle; just as Sasha had pictured in her mind.

"You may stop now, Sasha." Professor Dumbledore beamed at his pupil, immensely proud of her success. "You control the fire as well as I do, after only one try; whereas, I trained for years just to master fire, let alone the other three Elements."

Sasha grinned. "Does that mean I'm even more powerful than you thought, Professor?"

"It may well mean just that, Sasha. But, I implore you, do not let it go to your head; otherwise, people may be able to read it, and we certainly do not want _that _to happen," Dumbledore warned, his mouth in a thin line, showing just how serious he was being.

"Of course, Sir," Sasha said. Smirking, she added, "But it's still really awesome."

"That it is, Sasha, that it is," the Headmaster chuckled. "Now, send the fire back to my wand, and we will continue the lesson."

"Sure," Sasha smiled. Staring at the fire, she directed, _Go back into Professor Dumbledore's wand- but no burning anything, _and when the fire did so without burning a single object, Sasha beamed with pride.

"Excellent, Sasha. Well done. Now, we will work with water," Dumbledore began, blue eyes twinkling with pride for his student. "It will be more difficult for you than fire, I expect; after all, water is the opposite of fire. If you'd like, you can practice over your break, though I am not, by any means, telling you to; I am just giving you my permission to, should you have spare time. Besides, now that you are of age- happy belated birthday, by the way- you can do magic whenever you want."

"Thank you. Can I show my dad?" Sasha asked hopefully.

"By all means," Dumbledore smiled.

"Then I most certainly _will _practice over break; I bet my dad would get a kick out of his daughter being able to control Elements!" Sasha exclaimed, grinning broadly. "So, how do I control water?"

"Just like you controlled fire. But, remember, do not expect it to be as easy," Dumbledore told her wisely. "Are you ready?"

"Yep," Sasha replied, clearing her mind.

"Good. I'm sending the water now." Pointing his wand directly at Sasha, Dumbledore declared, "Aquamenti," and water burst out of the wand towards Sasha.

_Stop, water, _Sasha ordered. The water stopped after a second, wavering in the air. _Separate into two parts, _Sasha thought; the water did so, parting in half like Moses had just told it to, instead of Sasha. _Go back together, _Sasha commanded. A second went by, and then a few more before the water did as it was told. Sasha thought, _Change into a sphere, _and after first changing into a pyramid and a cube, it did so.

"Send the water back to my wand now, Sasha," Professor Dumbledore directed. Sasha did so; after a few minutes, the water did as it was instructed to, splashing the walls in an almost rebellious manner.

"I wasn't _that _bad, was I?" Sasha asked worriedly, sitting down.

"Not at all, Sasha; in fact, you were quite good," Dumbledore assured her kindly. "It was only natural for you to encounter problems with water, it being your Elemental opposite; personally, I am surprised by how few problems you had with it. It is a testament to your skill, and you should be quite proud of yourself."

"I am," Sasha grinned wolfishly, and Dumbledore chuckled.

"If you practice a few times- maybe three, possibly four- then you should have mastered working with water by the time you come back from break," Dumbledore told her.

"Awesome!" Sasha beamed. After a short pause, she asked, "Sir, what makes me more like fire than the other Elements?"

"Tempers are usually associated with fire, for one thing; and if I remember correctly, you have quite the temper," Dumbledore smiled knowingly, blue eyes twinkling. Sasha chuckled under her breath, knowing full well just how true this fact was. "Additionally, fires are extraordinarily powerful, efficient, and extremely dangerous. Fire has an astonishingly small number of weaknesses- water really being the only main one- and therefore can easily defeat any obstacles or problems it comes upon."

Sasha thought for a moment before nodding in understanding. "Okay, I see why I'm most like fire," she proclaimed matter-of-factly. "But you forgot to mention one thing, Professor."

"And what is that, Sasha?"

"Fire and I are both totally awesome!" Sasha laughed.

"How did I know you were going to say something along those lines?" the Headmaster asked, chuckling. "Do you have any more questions?"

"No," Sasha responded, still smiling. "Can I go back to my dorm now?"

"Yes, you may," Dumbledore allowed. "Have a good holiday, Sasha."

"You, too, Professor," Sasha smiled. "Happy Christmas! Oh, and good luck with your meeting!"

"Thank you," Dumbledore said, blue eyes twinkling merrily, and Sasha grinned at him again before exiting the office.

"Well, well, well, that _couldn't _be Berg, could it?" An unmistakable cocky voice called out from behind Sasha as she made her way to the common room. She internally groaned as the voice continued, "Out after curfew? I didn't know you had it in you."

"There's a lot you don't know about me," Sasha responded, not bothering to turn around to face Sirius Black.

"Actually, I know a lot about you," Sirius proclaimed. Even without looking at him, Sasha could tell he was smirking. "Want to hear?"

"Why not," Sasha sighed, turning around, arms crossed over her chest. "Okay, Black; lay it on me."

Sirius grinned before reciting, "You're a filthy rich pureblood, but your family's been in Gryffindor for centuries. Because of this, your favorite color is red. You don't have a huge family- you only have one cousin, if memory serves me correctly- but you have lots of family friends that you spend the holidays with. Your favorite animal is a lion, because of all the Gryffindors in your family. You-"

"Stop," Sasha held up her hand, and Sirius closed his mouth abruptly. "As much as I hate to admit it, a lot of that stuff is right; but just as much of it is wrong."

"Really?" Sirius asked dejectedly. "What's wrong?"

"Well, I _am_ a filthy rich pureblood, I'll admit that, but you're only partially right on the whole Gryffindor thing; everyone in my mum's family was a Gryffindor, but I'm one of the only Bergs who hasn't been in Slytherin; even my dad was a Slytherin."

"I knew you had some snake blood in you," Sirius snickered. "You're too stupid not to."

Sasha raised an eyebrow. "Would you _like _having your intestines spilled on the ground?"

"You couldn't do that."

"You wanna bet?"

Sirius scowled after a moment and snapped, "Whatever. What else did I get wrong?"

Sasha smirked at her victory and continued, "My favorite color is emerald green; it's my dad's favorite color, too, and it's all over my home. You're right in saying that I don't have a huge family and I only have one cousin, but I don't have any family friends. At all. Except if you count Remus' family, that is, but still, that's only one family friend. I do like lions a lot, but wolves are my favorite animal, without a doubt. They're just as brave and skilled as lions, but they have the cunning of snakes. Quite fascinating animals, wolves are, if you ask me."

"How did I get so much wrong?" Sirius questioned himself heatedly; however, Sasha could hear him, so she answered.

"You made assumptions by what you _think _you know about me. But here's a news flash for you, Black: there's more to me than you could ever imagine, let alone hope to know," Sasha stated mysteriously.

Sirius was about to reply when a downright creepy voice called, "Students out of bed! I can hear you! Detention!"

Argus Filch, Hogwarts' much hated caretaker, rounded the corner, his new kitten, Mrs. Norris, in his arms. "I should've expected to see you, Black," he sneered. Then, he turned to Sasha, and his demeanor changed drastically. "Hello, Miss Berg. How are you tonight?"

"Good, Mr. Filch, and yourself?" Sasha asked politely.

"Good as well, thank you. What is a good student like you doing out of bed after curfew?"

"I apologize, Mr. Filch. Professor Dumbledore wanted to see me, and he only just let me out. You could ask him; I'm sure he'd vouch for me," Sasha explained apologetically. Sirius stared at her and the caretaker in amazement; were they actually _getting along_?!

"I'll trust your word, Miss Berg," Filch gave Sasha a rare smile. "_Black_, however, will be getting detention, unless he, too, can provide a viable reason for being out after curfew." Filch glared at Sirius viciously, hatred oozing from his features, not a single remain of his smile on his face.

"Oh, you know me, Filch. Just setting up the Marauders' latest prank," Sirius grinned charmingly. Alas, the grin did not work on Argus Filch.

"Detention, Saturday at eight o'clock, in my office!" Filch roared angrily. Turning back to Sasha, he nodded politely, "Goodnight, Miss Berg."

"Goodnight, Mr. Filch," Sasha smiled back. With one last glare at Sirius, Filch scuttled away, Mrs. Norris mewing incessantly.

"What was _that _all about?" Sirius asked Sasha in astonishment.

Sasha shrugged. "Filch really isn't all that bad if you get on his good side."

"And how exactly do you do that?" Sirius inquired in pure wonder, unhindered by his negative feelings for the girl. "It could be really useful."

"Why would I tell you?" Sasha asked, one eyebrow raised questioningly. "For one thing, I don't like you. For another, it involves my private business; not to mention his."

"What'd you do, have an affair with him or something?" Sirius snorted.

"Bloody hell, no!" Sasha exclaimed, looking queasy at the mere thought of it. "That's disgusting, you sicko! Let's just say that Filch and I have something in common that put me on his good side."

"How would you and Filch have anything in common?" Sirius scoffed. "He's an old, sour Squib; and much as I hate you, you're… you're just not."

"There's nothing wrong with being a Squib!" Sasha exclaimed indignantly, her face flushed with anger. "Squibs are perfectly good people who just happen to be unable to perform magic! It's not their fault! There's not wrong with them whatsoever, and whoever said there is can go rot in Hell as soon as possible!"

"Oh, so _that's _what put you on Filch's good side!" Sirius realized with a start. "Both of you have a soft spot for Squibs! That's understandable, on his part; with him being a Squib and all. But, why do _you _like Squibs?"

Sasha glared at him, infuriated that he had figured it out- partially, at least. "None of your business," she said coldly before walking speedily down the hall, not looking back once.

_Why's Berg so defensive about Squibs? _Sirius asked himself, confused. Shrugging and forgetting the matter, deeming it "unimportant" (even though it most definitely wasn't), he continued to Gryffindor Tower.

* * *

**_Not my favorite chapter, definitely not, but, oh well. What'd YOU think? Please tell me in a review!_**

**_Thanks for reading!_**

**_-Joelle8_**

**_P.S. To Monopoly: To answer your question, shagging is having sex. And this story is going to have 46 chapters in total, including the prologue and epilogue. But, they're a good 46 chapters! :D So PLEASE don't let the length be a turn-off for you, people! I'm begging you!_**


	15. In Which James Does Something Right

In Which James Does Something Right

"WAKE UP!" Delilah screamed; all of her friends (except for Sasha, of course) woke up immediately and grabbed their wands, jumping into the defensive position they had learned in Defense Against the Dark Arts.

"What's wrong? What happened?" Alice asked, her head whipping around, alert.

"What would make you think anything's wrong?" Delilah laughed.

"Oh, I dunno, maybe the fact that you screeched at the top of your bloody lungs for us to wake up?!" Lily replied sourly. "You better have a good reason for waking us up so damn early! It's only 8:00 in the morning!"

"But it's Saturday, December 21! Do you know what that means?" Delilah said excitedly.

"Not off the top of my head. What does it mean?" Mary inquired softly.

"Tomorrow is the first day of holiday break! No work! No school! Home! Presents! Family! _Free_ _time_!" Delilah was filling up buckets of water as she said all of this, and handed one to each of her friends. "Let's wake up Sasha! We have to celebrate! Not to mention exchange presents!"

"She has a point," Alice shrugged, dumping her bucket on Sasha.

"Right or not, I'm up now, so we might as well have fun," Lily said, spilling her bucket's content on Sasha as well.

Mary only smiled and poured her water on Sasha slowly, seeming like she was savoring the moment.

Delilah emptied her bucket of water on Sasha last, and Sasha hopped out of bed cheerily. "Good morning, all!"

"You're right, it _is _a good morning. Let's exchange presents now!" Delilah suggested, digging through her belongings before pulling out four immaculately wrapped presents.

"Oh, yeah! Break starts tomorrow!" Sasha realized. "You guys are gonna _love _your presents. Or, if you don't, at least pretend that you do; I worked on them for forever!" She pulled out four pairs of socks.

"Um, Sasha?" Lily started.

"Yeah?"

"Why are our presents in socks?"

"Because I'm a God-awful wrapper, and everyone likes socks! It's a win-win!"

"The girl has a point," Alice interjected, sitting down on the ground, four presents in her lap. "Let's sit in a circle to do the present-giving!"

"Why a circle?" Mary asked, sitting down next to Alice.

"Because circles are fun, of course!" Alice answered like it was obvious.

"Very true," Delilah conceded, plopping down next to Mary. "Sasha! Lily! Sit!"

Sasha sat down while Lily yelled, "Hold on, I can't find the last present!" Clothes went flying as she tore through her drawers, hurriedly searching for the present. Her friends chuckled; all except for Alice, who knew that she'd have to clean it up later. "Found it!" Lily said in a sing-song way, pulling a present out of her underwear drawer and sitting down between Sasha and Alice.

"Good! So, who opens their presents first?" Alice asked, looking around at the girls expectantly.

"I'll go," Mary volunteered quietly.

"Excellent!" Sasha exclaimed, tossing Mary a sock-wrapped package. "Happy Christmas!"

"Happy Christmas!" Lily, Alice and Delilah's presents followed, and Mary giggled when one of them bounced off her forehead and down into her lap.

"Oooo! Open mine first, Pom-Pom!" Sasha begged.

"No, mine!" Alice pleaded.

"Mine! Mine!" Lily chirped.

"I'll open Delilah's; just because she isn't asking," Mary laughed. Alice, Sasha and Lily pouted, and Delilah smirked, sticking her tongue out at the other girls. Mary tore open the wrapping paper slowly, carefully, and even the mildly upset Sasha, Lily and Alice leaned forward to get a better look at the present.

Under the wrapping paper was a large, white box. Mary opened it to find… another box. She opened this box and discovered a small, brown box. When she opened this box, however, she finally found the actually present: a shiny silver friendship ring on a silver chain, with a topaz stone glimmering in the center.

"It's beautiful, Delilah!" Mary gasped. "Wherever did you get it?"

"My dad's a jeweler; he made it," Delilah shrugged, blushing with pleasure. "I have one, too, and I gave one to all of you. Each of them has a different stone. I tried to make sure I gave you your favorite stone. You like topaz, right, Mary?"

"I love them. You're right, they're my favorite," Mary smiled kindly. Wrapping was flying through the air as Alice, Lily and Sasha eagerly opened their presents and pulled out their necklaces with delighted gasps of awe.

"Oh, Delilah, I love it!" Lily exclaimed ecstatically. "You even got a ruby- my favorite stone! Everyone thinks that I like emeralds, because of my eyes, but I really love rubies! Oh, thank you!"

"_I'm _the one who likes emeralds; my favorite stone, sure enough!" Sasha exclaimed gleefully. "This necklace is gorgeous, Delilah; make sure to tell your dad that he's the best jeweler I've ever seen. Thank you _so _much!"

"SAPPHIRE!" Alice exclaimed joyfully. "I FINALLY got a sapphire! I've always wanted one! Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you!" If the giver had been anyone besides Delilah, they would've been showered with endless hugs; but as it was the hug-opposed Delilah who had given the presents, the girls had to suppress their hugging urges.

"What stone did you get, Delilah?" Mary asked curiously.

"An opal," Delilah said, pulling out her own necklace. "They're simple, yet elegant, and very pretty."

"Let's all wear our necklaces today!" Lily suggested.

"Yeah!" The girls agreed happily, putting on each other's necklaces, huge grins spread across their bright faces.

"Open mine now, Mary!" Alice requested. "Please, I really want to know if you like it or not!"

Mary obliged, quietly taking the tissue paper out of the bag Alice had given her, only to reveal a deep purple journal that, in sparkly letters, had "Mary's Journal" written across it.

"It's wonderful," Mary assured her blond friend. "How'd you know I needed a new journal?"

"I didn't; but you're always writing, so I figured you'd need a new one eventually!" Alice said. Mary smiled and hugged her appreciatively. "I'll open Lily's present now," Mary decided, pulling back from the hug.

"Hey! What about me?" Sasha pouted.

"I opened your present first on my birthday, remember? It's only fair," Mary explained. Sasha sighed in compliance as Lily beamed in anticipation. Mary unwrapped Lily's present to reveal a set of five lavishly colored quills.

"Do you like them?" Lily asked worriedly. "I figured you could use them for your writing."

"They're perfect, Lily!" Mary exclaimed, pulling the quills out of their cases. "Purple; blue; green; red; and gold. Five of my favorite colors!" Lily grinned in relief and hugged her friend.

"_Now _will you open my present?" Sasha sighed impatiently.

"Yes, _now _I'll open your present," Mary laughed.

"Oh goody!" Sasha clapped briefly as Mary took a small package out of the socks. "Oh, you'll have to enlarge it; I had to shrink it so it could fit in the socks," Sasha added.

"Engorgio," Mary pointed her wand at the tiny present, and it enlarged to its normal size, revealing itself as a photo album with _Mary _written on it in impeccable cursive script. Mary opened it, and was greeted with a picture of her, Sasha, Delilah, Alice and Lily, waving at the camera and smiling. The other pictures showed the everyday occurrences in their lives: James asking Lily out (Sasha had even managed to get a picture of the first time James asked Lily out, in Fourth Year; Lily's face was priceless); Sasha yelling at Sirius (and Sirius yelling at Sasha); numerous pranks (some on the girls, some by the girls); a surprising amount of Marauders; and many, many more.

"I made one for all of you; they all have the same pictures, but they each have your name on the front. I hope you like them," Sasha said. Her friends didn't respond; rather, they eagerly took out their own albums and flipped through them, laughing at the pictures.

"How'd you get all these pictures? You're in a lot of them!" Alice asked.

"Remus took a lot of them; he likes photography. Most of the pictures were taken by some of the younger kids; we're like celebrities to them, apparently! The kiddos were more than happy to let me make copies of the pictures," Sasha grinned. "So, do you like them?"

"No; I think I speak for all of us when I say we don't _like _them, we _love _them," Delilah laughed.

"Good," Sasha sighed in relief. "Hey, Lily, how about you open your presents now?" She suggested, turning to the redhead.

"Sure," answered Lily just as there was a hoot outside of their window. Alice hurried to open the window, and a tawny owl flew in, dropped something in Lily's lap, and flew out again.

"Who's it from?" Mary asked, staring at the package.

"I'm about to find out," Lily replied, opening the package and taking out a letter. She adopted a confused face as she read it. "It's from Potter. But- this letter- it's actually _nice_."

"Read it aloud!" Sasha prompted.

"Okay," Lily said, and began to read:

"'Dear Lily,

Happy Christmas! I hope that you have a break as wonderful as you are. It took the longest time to find something that's as beautiful as you; when I saw this, I had to get it for you, because it's just as Gryffindor as you. Plus, I know how much you like rubies. I hope you like it. See you after break.

-James.'"

Delilah, Alice, Sasha and Mary could now understand the look of confusion on their friend's face. Alice spoke first. "Well, open the present!"

Lily nodded mutely and opened the small box. She pulled out a golden hair clip that had been bejeweled with sparkling rubies. It was simple, yet utterly gorgeous.

"It's… _beautiful_," Lily murmured once she had recovered the ability to speak.

"Yeah," her friends quietly agreed in unison.

There was a long, tense pause before Mary suggested, "How about you open the rest of your presents? You can start with mine."

"Okay," Lily nodded, smiling, the awkward silence over. She opened Mary's unwrapped box and pulled out two books, Emma and Sense and Sensibility, both by Jane Austen. "Oh, I love Jane Austen! I needed more books to read over the break! Thank you so much, Mary!" She exclaimed, hugging her quiet friend, who was smiling softly.

"Open mine!" Alice demanded.

"I don't have another choice, do I? I already opened Mary's, Delilah's and Sasha's," Lily pointed out, pulling Alice's gift out of the bag to reveal a book titled, Amulets Don't Ward Off Everything: A Teenage Witch's Guide to Getting Rid of Unwanted Wizards. "I'll definitely be using this!" Lily giggled, hugging her friend. "Thanks, Alice!"

"I saw it, and I thought of you!" Alice laughed. "Can I open my presents now?"

"Of course!" The girls exclaimed.

"Well, let's see, then. Lily gave me…" Alice trailed off and held up her gift from the redhead. "…A set of six silk hair ribbons! Ooo, I love them, Lily! I'm gonna wear pigtails with the red and green ones; for a bit of Christmas spirit!" She hugged her friend, and then opened her second present; this one from Mary, obviously. "Yay! A gift certificate to the Magical Menagerie!" Alice exclaimed, jumping up excitedly. Suddenly, realization dawned on her. "Wait… oh my Merlin, this is enough to buy that toad I wanted, Toby! I LOVE YOU, MARY! THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!" Alice shouted, enveloping her quiet friend in a suffocating hug. Alice had decided that she wanted a pet, specifically a toad that she had dubbed "Toby", on her trip to Diagon Alley just before Sixth Year started; this want had not faded with time.

"Great, we'll have a _toad _stinking up our dorm," Delilah said sarcastically, rolling her eyes. Her grin, however, suggested that she was really happy for her friend. "I'm going to open my presents now, and nobody's gonna stop me!"

"Aw, man!" Sasha groaned. "That means I have to go last!"

"You'll live," Lily snapped, play-glaring at her. Turning to Delilah, she said, "Open up your presents, before Sasha goes mad!"

Delilah opened Mary's present first, and found a broom-polishing kit. "Oh, thank Merlin for you, Mary! My broomstick's dirtier than my brothers' rooms! Well, not _that _dirty, but pretty damn close!" She laughed gratefully, giving Mary an appreciative smile. Then, closing her eyes for no apparent reason, she pulled Alice's present out of the bag. When she opened her eyes, she exclaimed in pure joy, "Hallelujah! A 100 Galleon gift card for 'Quality Quidditch Supplies'! Alice, I love your stinking rich family!"

"I love it too," Alice grinned.

"Open mine now!" Lily prodded impatiently.

"Alright." Delilah obliged, and opened Lily's gift to reveal a miniature Valmai Morgan, Chaser for the Holyhead Harpies; not to mention Delilah's favorite Quidditch player of all time. "VALMAI MORGAN!" Delilah screamed in pure ecstasy. "Lily, I don't know how I could thank you!"

"Saying 'Thank you' would be acceptable," Lily laughed.

"Thank you!" Delilah barked happily, setting Valmai on her bedside table gingerly.

"My turn to open presents!" Sasha declared. "I'm damn sick of waiting!" Not waiting to hear her friends' responses to this outburst, she eagerly tore open Lily's present, revealing a knee-length, flowing black skirt.

"To wear to the next Slug Club meeting," Lily laughed, elbowing her friend playfully. Sasha shuddered, remembering the last one of those meetings she had been to, in Fifth Year; it had been a disaster, one that she'd rather not think about, and she hadn't been to one since.

"I'll find somewhere to wear it. Thanks, Lily; it's beautiful," Sasha smiled at the redhead, meaning every word she said. She then proceeded to open Alice's gift, and found a tiny- but very much alive- wolf that was just a bit bigger than Sasha's hand. "Alice- what is this?" Sasha asked in confusion.

"A spell gone bad," Alice answered grimly. "It's irreversible; the Ministry tried everything. My dad took me to work with him one day, and said I could have it, and I knew I just had to give it to you; you know, since you love wolves. It's harmless, and only needs to eat about an ounce of meat per day, and around that same amount of water. So, what do you think of it?"

"I think that I'm naming him Zevi!" Sasha replied happily, hugging the puny wolf close to her. The wolf barked with pleasure and licked Sasha's face.

"Why Zevi?" Mary asked.

"'Zevi' means 'wolf' in Hebrew; my dad told me. It's one of those random things he knows," Sasha explained. "Oh, thank you so much, Alice! I've always wanted a pet, especially a wolf! I love Zevi so much already!"

"Just don't forget to set up a bed for him, okay?" Alice said. "A folded washcloth should be fine, but make sure it's one you don't care about much; he sheds. Oh, and I have a miniature litter box that he's been trained to use, too. You want it?"

"Yes, please!" Sasha accepted gratefully, and Alice handed the tiny box to her. "Oh, this is so cool! Isn't it, Zevi?" Sasha asked her new pet, who responded by licking her again. "I think I'll open Pom-Pom's gift now," she decided, smiling at her quiet friend.

"It's not as good as Zevi, but I hope you like it anyways," Mary said apologetically.

"Don't worry, Pom-Pom; I'm sure I'll love it!" Sasha assured her bespectacled friend, opening the box. She pulled out a green hand mirror, and she stared at it in slight confusion.

"All of us have hand mirrors," Mary said, seeing her friend's confused expression. "I found a spell that turns hand mirrors into communication devices; I used it on all of our mirrors, including that one. So, whenever you say one of our names while looking into the mirror, you'll see that person, and you two can talk. Here, I'll show you." Mary went to her bedside table and took her own hand held mirror off of it. Staring into it, she proclaimed, "Sasha." Then, her face appeared in Sasha's mirror.

"That's awesome!" Sasha exclaimed. "So, can you see my face in your mirror now?"

"Yep," Mary replied. "So, do you like it?"

"I love it! Now we can all talk to each other over the break without having to wait for owls! Thanks, Pom-Pom!" Sasha beamed at her friend.

"You're welcome," Mary blushed proudly.

Suddenly, Sasha jumped up. "I just remembered! I have to give Remus his present!" She spoke, dashing to her dresser and taking a fifth pair of socks out of her drawer. She ran out of the room, Zevi in hand, before her friends could remind her that she was still wearing her pajamas.

Sasha knocked on the door of the boys' dormitory, and James opened it, looking at her bemusedly. "Berg, what are you doing here?" he asked.

"I have to give Remus his present!" Sasha exclaimed, going into the room without bothering to ask for permission. "Which bed is his?" She inquired, seeing that James was the only boy up, and all of the other beds had the curtains drawn.

"That one, against the left wall," James pointed to the bed the most far away from the door. Sasha skipped over to it, threw open the curtains, and jumped on the bed.

"Wake up, Remus!" Sasha demanded, jumping on the bed all the while. Remus opened his eyes tiredly and stared at Sasha in bewilderment.

"Sasha, what are you doing in my dorm, jumping on my bed in your pajamas, early in the morning?" Remus question, eyebrow raised.

"I have to give you your present, of course!" Sasha hopped off his bed and held out the socks to him. "Here you go!"

"Socks?" Remus asked with a light chuckle.

"They're the wrapping. Your real present's inside."

Remus opened the socks and pulled out a tiny album. Knowing what had to be done, he enlarged it by saying "Engorgio" and pointing his wand at the object, which turned out to be a wand polishing kit of the highest quality. "Thanks, Sasha; this'll come in handy," he smiled at his almost-sister. "Hold on, I'll get out your gift," he said, standing up and moving over to his dresser. After a minute, he picked up a small package and turned around and handed it to Sasha.

"Thanks!" Sasha grinned, tearing off the wrapping paper eagerly, revealing… "A wand polishing kit!" Sasha laughed. "Thanks, I really needed one of these! Who would've thought that we'd get each other the same thing?"

"It's always possible," Remus shrugged. Then, he noticed the squirming animal in Sasha's arms. "Er, Sasha… what exactly is that?" he asked, pointing at the tiny wolf.

"Oh! Remus, meet Zevi! He's my tiny wolf, from a spell gone wrong!" Sasha exclaimed, holding the animal out so that it was under Remus' nose. Zevi sniffed Remus for a moment before licking his nose. "He likes you!" Sasha giggled. Just then, Zevi jumped out of her arms and ran onto another bed across the room.

"Uh-oh!" Remus exclaimed as Sasha said, "Zevi, no!" and ran after her pet. Just before she could open that bed's curtain, however, the person occupying the bed woke up.

"AHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Sirius screamed. Remus rushed over and threw open the curtains, revealing Zevi standing on Sirius' chest, staring him down with his golden eyes. "What _is _that thing?"

"'That thing' has a name, Black; his name is Zevi," Sasha huffed, picking up the miniature wolf gently and cradling him in her hand.

"What the bloody hell are you doing in here, Berg?" Sirius asked loudly.

"I had to give Remus his Christmas present," Sasha shrugged as if it was no big deal.

"And what is that- _thing_?" Sirius stared at Zevi as if he was an alien.

"_Zevi _is my miniature pet wolf," Sasha glared at Sirius, stroking her pet with one finger.

"Well, it's strange," Sirius decided, standing up. He leaned forward a bit and began prodding Zevi with his finger. Zevi, apparently, did not like this, and bit Sirius' finger. Sirius yelped in pain and jumped back.

"Good Zevi!" Sasha exclaimed gleefully, scratching her pet under the chin with her pinky finger. "You've already learned that Black is our enemy! What a smart wolf!"

"Why are you in your PJs, Berg?" Sirius inquired all of the sudden.

Sasha shrugged. "I was in a hurry to give Remus his present, and I forgot to change."

"Well, they're ugly," Sirius proclaimed. Truthfully, Sasha's pajamas- a long-sleeved Chudley Cannons shirt with fleece pants- clung to her curves beautifully. _She _didn't have to know that, though.

"I really don't care what you think of my pajamas, Black; so why say anything at all?" Sasha scoffed.

"Oh, you care; you just won't admit it."

"You'd do well to stop spouting nonsense before I have Zevi bite you again," Sasha glared at her enemy, who had his mouth opened to speak, but seemed to think twice about it when he looked down at the snarling wolf, and instead shut it abruptly. Smirking, Sasha turned back to Remus. "I'll be going now. Happy Christmas!"

"Happy Christmas!" Remus replied, flopping back onto his bed, no doubt preparing to sleep for the rest of the morning. Sasha then turned to James, and pulled a sheet of paper out of a pocket in her pants.

"Here's that list about how to get a date with Lily, Potter," Sasha said, handing the paper to him. "Oh, and by the way, she loved the present. She was speechless- in a good way for once!"

"YES!" James shouted victoriously, jumping up and hitting the air with his fist. "I finally did something right!"

"Yeah, you did," Sasha laughed. "Happy Christmas."

"Thanks, you too," James smiled.

Sasha then left the boys' dorm, only stopping to turn around and tell Sirius, "Have a horrible Christmas!"

"Same to you!" Sirius yelled as Sasha trotted out of his dorm, rubbing his sore finger.

* * *

**_Definitely NOT my favorite chapter. Pretty boring. Who knows, maybe I'm just too critical of myself, but that's my opinion. What do YOU think? PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE review!!!!!!!!! They help me so much, you have no idea!_**

**_Thanks for reading!_**

**_-Joelle8_**


	16. In Which Mistletoe is a Very Good Thing

In Which Mistletoe Is a Very Good Thing

Alice, Sasha, Delilah, Mary and Lily were at the bottom of the stairs, trunks in hand, when they saw it.

"Oh, no," Delilah gasped.

"We should've seen it coming," Sasha smacked herself on the forehead, cursing her own stupidity.

"I have to hide!" Lily gulped, glancing around fearfully.

"How are we gonna get around it?" Alice wondered, eyes wide in fright.

Mary said nothing. She just stared at the mistletoe, located directly in front of the girls, with eyes widened in fear, and skin paled several notches.

"Okay, we have to go one at a time," Sasha decided.

"First, let's push our trunks through. It'll be easier that way," Alice suggested.

"Good idea," Lily said, pushing her trunk past the mistletoe; it landed behind the couch, as did Alice, Mary, Sasha and Delilah's trunks. They could only hope that nobody would open them.

"Okay, Lily should go first, before Potter comes down," Delilah said. "Lily, just walk around the mistletoe slowly, keeping your eyes on it at all times. Remember, it's not Muggle mistletoe; it's Wizards' mistletoe, and if any part of you gets caught under it, your feet will be glued to the ground until you kiss somebody. _On the lips_."

"Right." Lily slowly walked around the mistletoe, keeping her eyes on it so she wouldn't accidentally go under it. After what seemed like years, she made her way past the mistletoe and dashed over to the girls' trunks right before a group of curious First Year boys could open them. "Don't even think about it," she glared at them, and they scurried away.

"Can I go now?" Mary requested, eyeing the mistletoe nervously. "I really don't want to have to kiss anyone."

"Sure, Pom-Pom," Sasha allowed. Mary smiled at her gratefully before hastily making her way around the mistletoe and over to sit by Lily.

"You go now, Sasha," Delilah said. "I can wait."

"Thanks," Sasha sighed in relief. She slowly walked around the mistletoe, frequently glancing at it nervously, until she could run over to Lily and Mary.

"Which one of us should go next? You or me?" Alice asked, facing Delilah.

"Your choice," Delilah shrugged.

"Okay, then you go."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah, I'm sure; go on ahead," Alice waved Delilah ahead. This was a huge mistake: her extended hand accidentally went under the mistletoe, and Alice was dragged under it.

"ALICE!" Delilah, Mary, Lily and Sasha screeched in horror.

"Aw, shit!" Alice cursed, not caring about the First Years in the proximity. "The train's gonna leave soon!"

"Don't worry, Alice, we'll figure something out," Delilah assured her friend, dashing around the mistletoe and over to her other friends with natural agility.

"Who placed this fucking mistletoe here anyway?" Alice wondered grumpily.

"Probably Potter and his cronies, hoping to catch me under it," Lily grumbled heatedly.

"Probably," her friends agreed, grimacing sympathetically.

Just then, the Marauders and Frank rushed into the common room. "Damn!" James cursed, seeing Lily out of the way of the mistletoe. Lily glared at him in response.

"Well, well, well," Sirius said, looking at Alice, stuck under the mistletoe, "what do we have here?"

"We have me stuck under your damn mistletoe, Black! What does it look like?" Alice answered crossly.

"Touchy today, aren't you, Prewett?" Sirius chuckled.

"She has a right to be!" Sasha defended her friend. "She's trapped under that fucking mistletoe! What if she misses the train?"

"She won't miss the train, Sasha," Remus assured his friend. "I'm sure that one of us would be more than happy to free here." He looked at Frank pointedly, and his fellow Marauders followed suit. Frank and Alice both blushed.

"W-w-well," Frank stammered, "i-if no one else w-will…" Clearly nervous, he stepped under the mistletoe so that he was standing across from Alice. "D-Do you mind?" He asked her cautiously. "I-if you don't want me to k-kiss you, I won't."

"No," Alice smiled up at him. "In fact, I don't mind at all."

Frank seemed to gain confidence from this. He grinned down at Alice before leaning down, eyes closed, and giving her a gentle kiss. Alice's eyes closed as well, and she wrapped her arms around Frank's neck, deepening the kiss. Their lips moved in sync until they broke apart from each other for air.

"Alice, will you be my girlfriend?" Frank asked, biting his lip nervously.

Alice's face broke out into a broad grin that stretched all the way up to her eyes. "I've been waiting for you to ask me that for ages," she said before kissing Frank again.

It was hard to say who started cheering first: the Marauders, or the girls. In either case, soon, the whole Gryffindor House was applauding Frank Longbottom and Alice Prewett _finally _getting together, after they had obviously liked each other for years.

"Well, I hate to break up this wonderful little love-fest here," Delilah said, positively beaming, "but I don't think any of us want to miss the train."

Frank and Alice broke apart, both blushing, but their faces glowing with happiness. "Right," Alice spoke, still looking at Frank. "Let's go." Hand in hand with her new boyfriend, Alice picked up her trunk, and then Frank picked up his from where he had left it at the bottom of the boys' staircase.

"Would you like to sit with me on the train?" Frank asked, smiling.

Alice looked over at her friends, silently asking for permission; she received it in the form of several thumbs-up and mouthed "Go ahead"s. Smiling gratefully at her friends, she turned back to Frank and told him, "Yes, I would."

With that, Hogwarts' newest "Cutest Couple" (which was what Frank and Alice would be known as for several months) left the common room, looking happier than their friends had ever seen them.

"Come on, we should follow the lovebirds' example and get to the train," James suggested.

"Yeah," Peter squeaked, picking up his heavy trunk with difficulty.

"Well, I guess we won't have to use a Permanent Sticking Charm on them after all!" Delilah proclaimed ecstatically.

"I think we can all agree when I say: _Finally_!" Lily laughed.

Mary was smiling softly. "I'm so happy for Alice."

"It's about time!" Sasha exclaimed.

"What about being happy for Frank?" Remus asked playfully. "He's just as happy as Alice right now!"

"Well, we're happy for him, of course," Sasha replied. "But Alice is our best friend, so, naturally, we'd proclaim our happiness for her before proclaiming our happiness for Frank."

"That makes sense," Remus nodded in understanding. "Hey, where's Zevi?"

"In my pocket," Sasha replied, pulling out the tiny wolf. "He fits in there perfectly!"

"Oh, _there's _the demon dog," Sirius growled, noticing Zevi.

"Zevi is not a _dog, _he's a _wolf_," Sasha snapped. "Wolves have sharper teeth, and are altogether more dangerous. Surely you know that, Black? You couldn't have forgotten Zevi's bite so soon; otherwise, you wouldn't have that Band-Aid on your finger."

"Zevi bit Black?" Lily turned to Sasha. Sasha nodded, and Lily immediately scratched Zevi under the chin. "Oh, what a good, smart wolfie!" She cooed, laughing.

"Zevi already hates Black? Wow, like owner, like pet!" Delilah exclaimed. Seeing her friends' looks of confusion, she explained. "You know, 'Like father, like son', only it's 'Like owner, like pet', get it? Oh, forget it!"

"How's the wolf so small?" James asked wondrously, staring at Zevi, who seemed to regard him with a neutral opinion.

"A spell gone wrong," Sasha shrugged. "Alice gave him to me!"

"Speaking of Alice," Mary piped up, "weren't we going to follow her to the train?"

"Oh, right!" Sasha exclaimed, placing her pet on her shoulder; Zevi barked happily, sitting down contentedly. With that, the girls walked out of the common room, the Marauders following behind.

"No. No. Way. In. Hell," Lily stated angrily, arms crossed. She and her friends, as well as the Marauders, were standing in a compartment on the Hogwarts Express, their trunks put away.

"I agree with Lily," Sasha said. "There is no fucking way I'm sitting with _Black _all the way back to Platform 9¾! There _has _to be another compartment _somewhere_ on the train!"

"Do you think we'd be sitting with you if we had any other choice?" Sirius snapped, just as upset as Sasha was about the predicament. "We checked the whole entire train, and there's not a single empty compartment!"

"Go sit with your latest girlfriend, then!" Delilah suggested. Ever since Lola (who "dated" Sirius for about five days), Sirius had already had twelve other girlfriends. His current one was a Fifth Year Hufflepuff named Alexandria Marks.

"I don't _have _a girlfriend! I broke up with Marks this morning!" Sirius exclaimed.

"Listen," Mary said quietly, "couldn't we just sit together for this one train ride? We don't even have to talk to each other; we just have to sit in the same space. Please, Lily, Sasha, Delilah?"

Sasha looked at her friend's frustrated space, and realized that her arguing had really gotten on Mary's nerves. She immediately became flooded with guilt, and from the look on Lily and Delilah's faces, they were feeling the same way. "Sure, Pom-Pom."

"Only for you," Lily hugged Mary.

"Yeah. I suppose _one _train ride couldn't be that bad," Delilah sighed, plopping down on a bench. She looked around expectantly at her companions. "Well? Aren't you gonna sit?"

"Right," Sasha said, sitting in the seat closest to the window. Mary sat down between her and Delilah, and Lily sat closest to the hallway. The Marauders sat on the bench across from them; Remus sat across from Sasha, Peter sat across from Mary, and James sat across from Delilah (though only so his best friend could be as far away from Sasha as possible).

"So, girls," Delilah began, "what are you planning on doing over the break?"

"Staying home," Lily, Mary and Sasha answered simultaneously.

"I'll probably end up doing the same stuff that I did over the summer," Sasha shrugged, causing Zevi to yelp in protest. "Oh, I'm sorry, Zevi!" Sasha exclaimed apologetically, picking up her pet and placing him on her lap, stroking him comfortingly.

"My parents always like taking me around town," Mary said. "If I'm lucky, they'll let _me _take _them _somewhere this year. I really want to go to Diagon Alley; I need a new copy of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. Mine is falling apart!"

"You should've told us; we would've gotten you a copy for Christmas!" Lily chided. "I'm planning on spending my break avoiding Petunia. Hopefully, my parents won't try throwing a family holiday party again. They tried that last year, and it was a total disaster!"

"Don't worry, Lily; if they do throw a holiday party, you can always come to my house," Delilah offered.

"Or mine!" Mary chirped.

"Or mine!" Sasha volunteered. "I'm sure you'd be more than welcome!"

"Thanks, you guys," Lily smiled at her friends gratefully. "So, Delilah, what are you doing over break?"

To universal surprise, Delilah _blushed_. "Well, you remember that guy I danced with at the Halloween Ball? Dexter Corner?"

"Yeah," her friends replied.

"Well, we were talking, and it turns out he lives near me. So, he asked me if I wanted to hang out with him sometime over the break," Delilah replied, still blushing. Lily, Mary and Sasha squealed excitedly.

"Oh my gosh, Delilah, congratulations!" Mary exclaimed excitedly.

"You two look so cute together!" Lily gushed.

Sasha teased, "I knew I saw some chemistry between you two!"

James coughed. "Sorry to break up your little girl-moment, but we'd really rater not listen to you ladies talking about McPhee and Corner, no offense."

"None taken," Delilah replied.

"Sorry, we sort of forgot you were here," Sasha said. "No offense; you guys were just so _quiet _for once!"

"It's okay, Sasha," Remus assured her. "By the way, my mum wanted me to ask you if you and your dad wanted to come to our Christmas party."

"Sure!" Sasha accepted eagerly. "I'm sure my dad would love to come. Thank your mum for me, will you?"

"Will do," Remus replied.

"Wait, Moony, you're inviting _Berg _to your holiday party?" Sirius asked incredulously.

"Yeah," Remus said as if it was no big deal.

"But Prongs, Wormtail and I are going, too!" Sirius declared, upset.

Remus rolled his eyes. "Padfoot, Sasha is my friend, too. You're just gonna have to deal with that." Sirius crossed his arms and pouted in response.

"The party's casual, right?" Sasha made sure. "My dad 'accidentally' burned his last suit."

Remus chuckled. "Don't worry; you can wear anything you want."

"Oh, good!" Sasha sighed in relief. "Because I 'accidentally' burned all of my fancy clothes last summer!"

"What about your dress from the Halloween Ball?" Lily asked.

"Sasha Olivia Berg, if you burned that, I swear, I'll murder you in your sleep!" Delilah warned threateningly.

"Calm down, Delilah! No, I didn't burn it. I know that you girls would kill me if I did," Sasha laughed.

"So, Wormtail, what are you doing over break?" Remus turned to the shortest Marauder.

"My grandmum's coming to visit," Peter answered. "Oh, and I'm real sorry, Moony, but I might not be able to go to your Christmas party after all. My grandmum's gonna be here for it, and I doubt my mum will let me leave."

"It's alright, Wormtail," Remus assured him. "Come if you can, and if you can't, then just send me a letter or something. What about you, Prongs, Padfoot? What are you doing over the break?"

"Padfoot's going to stay at my place," James replied. "We'll probably do a little of everything; flying, pranking, driving my mum mad. You know, the usual."

"I feel sorry for Mrs. Potter," Lily mumbled so that only the girls could hear. They all laughed.

"What's so funny?" Peter asked confusedly.

"Nothing." The girls ended their laughter at the exact same time, causing them to start laughing again. They were still laughing when the trolley passed by.

"Anything off the trolley, dears?" The infamous trolley witch asked, peering into the compartment.

"Yes, please!" Sasha placed Zevi back on her shoulder before hopping up and buying four packages of Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans, eight Chocolate Frogs, four Pumpkin Pasties, and four Cauldron Cakes. She smiled at the trolley witch appreciatively and tossed each of her friends one package of Beans, two Chocolate Frogs, one Pumpkin Pasty, and one Cauldron Cake before sitting back down.

"I'll buy some candy, too!" James stood up, and bought exactly what Sasha had bought, tossing the exact same quantities of everything to his friends. Once he sat down, the trolley witch rolled her trolley farther down the hall.

"Don't even think about trying to pay me back," Sasha wagged her finger at her friends as they pulled coins out of their pockets. "It's my treat; I insist."

"Yeah, same here, guys," James said, looking around at the boys. "My treat."

"Hey, Zevi, do you want a Bean?" Sasha asked her pet, holding a reddish/pinkish Bean in front of his nose. Zevi sniffed it briefly before snatching it out from between Sasha's fingers and scarfing it down hungrily.

"Zevi sure seemed to like that Bean!" Lily laughed. "What flavor was it?"

"Bacon," Sasha chuckled. "I picked one I knew he'd like."

"Demon dog," Sirius muttered under his breath, just loud enough so Sasha could hear.

"How many times do I have to tell you, Black?! Zevi is a _wolf_, not a _dog_!" Sasha declared angrily.

"What's the big difference?" Sirius snorted.

"Wolves are stronger, fiercer, have sharper teeth, and are altogether much more dangerous. Personality wise, wolves are cleverer, more cunning, and extremely stealthy," Sasha replied quickly, as if she had practiced what to say.

"You make it sound like wolves are better than dogs," Sirius said, arms crossed.

"It's called telling the truth," Sasha responded, eyes narrowed. Zevi barked in agreement.

"You're biased," Sirius stated. "Dogs are _way _cooler than wolves."

For a moment, Sasha looked like she was going to make a witty retort. Instead, she popped a pure white Bean in her mouth and spit it directly to the center of Sirius' forehead.

"Ouch!" Sirius exclaimed as everyone else in the compartment burst out laughing. He glared at Sasha, who smirked back at him. "Are you sure you weren't wrongly Sorted, Berg? You seem more like a Slytherin to me than anything else." This was clearly meant to be an insult, but it did not offend Sasha at all, whatsoever.

"Well, I _am _half-Slytherin, so it's only natural that I have some Slytherin qualities," Sasha reasoned. She yawned, and then decided, "I'm going to nap. Remus, girls, please make sure nobody does anything to me while I'm asleep." Before anyone could convince her to do otherwise, Sasha had laid her head against the window and was fast asleep.

Mary sighed, and gently lowered Sasha's head onto her lap. Zevi leapt off of Sasha's shoulder and onto Sasha's head, curling up and following his owner's lead.

"Great, now we'll have to get the compartment all wet when it's time to wake her up!" Lily complained, crossing her arms grumpily.

"What do you mean?" James asked, clearly confused.

"Sasha's the heaviest sleeper you'll ever meet," Delilah explained. "The one and only thing that wakes her up is water; about four buckets of it, to be precise."

"Why?" Peter inquired curiously.

"Beats me," Mary, Lily and Delilah shrugged in unison.

"It's quite an inconvenience, though," Mary spoke.

"Wait. So, we could do anything at all to Berg when she's asleep, and she wouldn't wake up?" Sirius asked, his eyes alighting mischievously, obviously plotting something devious.

"Padfoot, you're not going to touch Sasha. Got it?" Remus looked at Sirius sternly.

"Party pooper," Sirius grumbled, glaring at Remus.

For the rest of the train ride, Remus, Lily, James, Peter, Delilah, Sirius and Mary talked about various pointless things; surprisingly enough, James didn't ask Lily out once (he was doing as Sasha's list instructed), something that Lily was extremely thankful for. Eventually, they made it back to Platform 9 ¾, and after waking up Sasha (who woke up Zevi), all eight Gryffindors made their ways to their respective families.

Peter spotted his mum, a rather short, pudgy woman, first; she was standing with a man only a few inches taller than herself with Peter's brown hair and watery blue eyes. Peter said his goodbyes and eagerly scurried over to greet his parents as a redheaded woman with hazel eyes and a man with terminally messy black hair and glasses came out of the mist.

"Hi, Mr. and Mrs. Potter!" Sirius called as James called, "Hi, Mum, Dad!" The two rushed over to James' parents.

"Hello, boys!" Mr. and Mrs. Potter exclaimed, hugging both Sixth Years. Sirius noticed, around the corner, his little brother, Regulus, going over to his parents. Sirius stiffened, and turned his stare back to his best friend's parents.

"Come on, James, Sirius," Mr. Potter said. "Let's go home."

"Okay!" James and Sirius barked in unison, following Mr. and Mrs. Potter out of the Platform. However, Sirius couldn't resist coughing "Daddy's girl," as he passed Sasha hugging her father.

"DADDY!" Sasha shouted, rushing to her father and wrapping her arms around his waist tightly. "I missed you!"

"I missed you, too," Mr. Berg chuckled, kissing the top of his daughter's head.

"Daddy's girl," Sirius Black coughed as he followed the Potters out of the Platform. Sasha let go of her father and glared at Sirius' back. She was sure that had he been facing her, he would have withered from the force of the hatred seeping from her gaze.

"So, I take it that's the dreaded Sirius Black I've heard so much about?" Mr. Berg guessed.

"The one and only," Sasha said heatedly. "Oh, Mrs. Lupin invited us to their Christmas party, by the way. Is it okay that I accepted?"

"It's perfectly alright," Mr. Berg assured his daughter. "Where are the Lupins?" He looked around the Platform, only to find Remus and his family approaching them.

"Hello, John," Mr. Berg greeted Remus' father, who was the spitting image of an older Remus except for his green eyes. "Hello, Eliza," he turned to Remus' mother, a pretty black-haired Muggleborn with Remus' blue eyes.

"Hello, Harry," Eliza Lupin replied. "Did Remus invite you to our holiday party for us?"

"Yes, he did. Thank you, we'd be happy to attend," Mr. Berg replied, smiling.

"We can't wait to see you there," John said. "Well, we have to go now, but we'll see you on Christmas, six o'clock!"

"See you then!" Sasha called as the Lupin family walked away. Just then, Lily, Mary, Delilah and Alice rushed over (with Frank waiting loyally behind).

"Bye, Sasha!" Lily hugged her friend before objections could be made. Mary, Alice and Delilah all did the same.

"Bye, girls! Happy Christmas!" Sasha exclaimed, hugging her friends back. "Good luck with Dexter, Delilah; Alice, congrats on _finally _getting together with Frank, I was getting seriously annoyed with the two of you; Lily, I hope, for your sake, that your parents don't try throwing a holiday party again; and Mary, if your parents do end up letting you go to Diagon Alley, make sure to contact me, so we can meet up!"

"Thanks, Sasha!" Alice, Mary, Delilah and Lily grinned before prancing back to their families (except for Alice, who went back to Frank, and _then _to her family). Sasha then turned back to her father.

"You sure are popular," he chuckled.

"Yes, I am," Sasha laughed.

"Ready to go home yet?" Sasha's dad asked. "I bought all the ingredients to make cookies."

"Ooo, cookies! Come on, let's go!" Sasha said excitedly. Then, Zevi barked, as if saying, "Stop ignoring me!"

"What is that, Sasha?" Mr. Berg inquired curiously.

"That's Zevi, my pet miniature wolf; he's the result of a spell gone wrong. Alice gave him to me for Christmas. Do you like him?" Sasha spoke.

"I think he's perfect. Hello, Zevi." Mr. Berg leaned down, and Zevi immediately licked his nose and barked happily, expressing his approval of Sasha's father.

"He likes you!" Sasha teased her father, elbowing him playfully.

"I'm glad. Let's go home now," Sasha's father suggested. In reply, Sasha smiled and picked up her suitcase with one hand, and with the other, dragged her father off the Platform.

* * *

**_Finally, one of my pairings got together! Yay! So, how do you like this chapter? Please tell me in a REVIEW!!!!!!!!!! They make me feel loved. :D_**

**_Thanks for reading!_**

**_-Joelle8_**


	17. In Which Petunia Isn't Horrid

In Which Petunia Isn't Horrid

"Lily! We've missed you so much!" Upon going over to her family after saying goodbye to Sasha, Lily was wrapped into one of her father's infamous bear hugs.

"Dad… can't… breath…" Lily gasped, and her father let go of his youngest daughter, chuckling. Lily smiled and looked into the bright green eyes that were the same as her own.

"My turn!" Mrs. Evans grasped her youngest daughter and squeezed her tightly, giving Lily a hug even bigger and harder than Mr. Evans'.

"Mum… you're… suffocating… me…" Lily complained, fighting for air. Mrs. Evans let go of her instantly and looked at her concernedly.

"Oh, I'm so sorry dear, are you alright?" she asked.

"I'm fine, Mum," Lily laughed once she had regained her breath. "Really, you worry too much!"

"I'm your mother, Lily; it's my job," Mrs. Evans said.

"I take it Petunia's at home?" Lily asked, trying to hide her disappointment.

"Yes, with Vernon," Mr. Evans replied. Her face split into a huge grin. "They're quite serious; in fact-"

"Henry!" Mrs. Evans cut him off. "Petunia said she wanted to tell Lily the big news herself, remember?"

"Yes, Rose," Mr. Evans sighed.

"Oh, Mum, Dad, I want to introduce you to my friends!" Lily exclaimed all of the sudden, noticing Mary and Delilah's families a little ways off. "Come on!" She grabbed her parents' hands and dragged them over to her friends.

"Hi, Lily!" Delilah and Mary chirped.

"Hi, Delilah. Hi, Mary. I wanted you to meet my parents. Mum, Dad, these are two of my best friends, Mary Macdonald and Delilah McPhee," Lily said, gesturing to each of her friends as she introduced them.

"It's a pleasure to meet you," Mary smiled politely, shaking Mr. and Mrs. Evans' hands.

"Yeah," Delilah agreed, shaking Lily's parents' hands as well.

"It's so nice to meet you two; Lily's told us so much about you," Mr. Evans grinned.

"I hope it's all good," Delilah looked at Lily pointedly, attempting to look stern, but fighting a smile the whole time.

"Don't worry, it is," Mrs. Evans assured her.

"Lily," Mary spoke up, "I'd like you to meet my Mum and Dad. Mum, Dad, this is Lily; Lily, this is my Mum, and my Dad." A man and woman stepped forward. The man had dark brown hair and blue-grey eyes, while Mary would clearly look just like her mother when she was her age.

"Pleased to meet you," Lily said politely, shaking Mary's mother's hand, and then her father's.

"The pleasure is ours," Mary's mother smiled. Lily saw right off the bat that while Mary looked exactly like her mother, she had more of her father's nature; for Mrs. Macdonald was a loud, outgoing person, while Mr. Macdonald was quiet and looked like he'd rather not have to talk.

"MAX! GET BACK HERE!" Delilah screeched, running after one of her younger brothers, Max, a boisterous seven-year-old who was running around the Platform with one of Delilah's bras in hand- he had stealthily taken it out of her trunk no one was looking. Delilah's other brothers instantly joined the chase; much to Delilah's chagrin, they decided to help Max, instead of her. This put her at a huge disadvantage, considering that all seven of Delilah's brothers had decided to come to Platform 9 ¾; even Delilah's eldest brother, Kurt, who was twenty-three and worked at Gringotts. Kurt's twin brother, Arthur, was also there, despite having a fairly prestigious position in the Ministry. David, Delilah's nineteen-year-old brother, had just graduated from Hogwarts, and was looking around wistfully at the Platform; it was obvious he was reminiscing. He was definitely the quietest of Delilah's brothers, though he was just as obsessed with sports as the rest.

"Toss it here, Max!" Ten-year-old Sam called. By now, all of Delilah's brothers were playing a big, public game of Keep Away. The ball? Delilah's bra. The person the bra was being kept away from? None other than Delilah herself, of course. Max tossed Sam the bra, which he caught expertly. Sam then attempted to throw it to nine-year-old George, but Delilah caught it in mid-air just in time.

"I'm going to KILL you!" Delilah roared, tucking her bra in her pocket. Delilah's brothers gulped- even Kurt and Arthur- and ran away from their sister as fast as their legs could carry them.

"Delilah Elizabeth McPhee! You get back here right now!" Mrs. McPhee yelled. She and Delilah shared the same hair and eyes, but other than that, Delilah was most definitely her father's daughter.

"I'm so sorry about my kids- they're not the most well behaved bunch," Mr. McPhee admitted sheepishly, facing the other parents. "Good to meet all of you; I'm Michael McPhee," he added, extending his hand.

"I'm Henry Evans, and this is my wife, Rose." Mr. Evans shook Delilah's father's hand first, and then Mrs. Evans did.

"I'm Jane McPhee, and I'd shake your hands, but they're a bit full," Mrs. McPhee said apologetically, jerking her head towards her two-year-old son, Alexander, in her arms.

"I can see that," Mrs. Evans laughed. "You must be very busy at home!"

"I have three nannies for a reason," Mrs. McPhee replied with a chuckle.

"How much does that cost?" Mrs. Macdonald asked wondrously, joining the conversation. "Nannies are so expensive nowadays!"

As Mary, Lily and Delilah's mothers began chatting, Lily and Mary turned to each other, shrugged, and wordlessly decided to help Delilah in her chase. The fathers just watched the magical hubbub around them in awe; they were, after all, all Muggles.

"So, should we tell our parents that we're dating?" Frank asked Alice, standing with her a little ways apart from where their families were standing together. The Prewetts and the Longbottoms were good friends; Augusta Longbottom and Amy Prewett had been good friends in Hogwarts, both being Gryffindors together. The same was true for Simon Longbottom and Daniel Prewett.

"They certainly wouldn't mind; I've overheard our mums' conversations. They practically have our wedding planned already!" Alice laughed.

"Well, then let's make them happy, shall we?" Frank suggested, grinning and holding out his hand for Alice to take.

"Yes, let's," Alice agreed, taking Frank's hand and walking over to their families.

"Alice!" Mrs. Prewett exclaimed upon seeing her daughter. Then, her eyes fell on Alice's hand entwined with Frank's. "Oh- are you two…?"

"Yes, mum; we're dating," Alice replied. Mrs. Prewett squealed and hugged her daughter gleefully.

"Oh, I always knew you two would make a good match! Why didn't you write to tell me about it?" Alice's mother gushed. Before answering, Alice glanced over at Frank; his mother seemed to be telling him the same thing, only considerably harsher.

"We only got together this morning, Mum," Alice answered. "If we had gotten together any sooner, I would have owled you."

"Well, that's a good enough reason, I suppose," Mrs. Prewett sighed, letting go of her daughter. "Oh, Augusta, isn't this wonderful?"

"It's fantastic!" Mrs. Longbottom exclaimed. "We always knew it would happen, didn't we? Oh, it's such a good match!" The two old friends walked away, talking gaily, no doubt planning Alice and Frank's wedding yet again. Alice decided not to join them, and walked over to join her boyfriend, who was talking to her father; Frank's father was watching amusedly from the sidelines, chortling under his breath.

"You're a good boy, Frank," Mr. Prewett was saying. "I'm going to trust you to take good care of my daughter. If you hurt her, I swear, I'll-"

"Dad!" Alice interrupted her father. "No threatening my boyfriend!"

"It's my job, Alice- I have to make sure he treats you right, don't I?" Mr. Prewett chuckled.

Alice was about to protest, but Frank spoke sooner. "Mr. Prewett, I promise you, I won't let anyone hurt Alice, especially me. She's a jewel, and I plan on treating her like one, because she deserves nothing less."

Mr. Prewett beamed, satisfied with this answer, and patted Frank's shoulder. "You better," he said. Turning to Mr. Longbottom, he declared, "You raised your son well, Simon."

"Thanks, Dan. I'm proud of him," Mr. Longbottom responded, grinning proudly. This made Frank's own grin, just like his father's, all the wider.

As the men walked off, Alice turned to Frank. "Did you really mean that?" she asked, touched by her boyfriend's words.

"Of course," Frank smiled. "A girl like you deserves to be treated like a queen."

"You're so sweet," Alice said, hugging him.

"You're sweeter," Frank insisted, kissing the top of her head.

Alice giggled, and noticed something out of the corner of her eye. "I think our parents have found my friends' parents."

"Looks like it," Frank commented, looking in the same direction as Alice. Indeed, the Longbottoms and the Prewetts were now engaged in conversation with other adults that were obviously Lily, Mary and Delilah's parents. "Where do you think Mary, Delilah and Lily are?" Frank continued, looking down at his girlfriend curiously.

Alice looked around the Platform and, after not too long, found them. "There- chasing Delilah's brothers," she pointed to the cluster, laughing.

"All _six _of those boys are Delilah's brothers?!" Frank exclaimed in surprise.

"Yeah. She has another one, I think his name is Alex, but he's only two. It explains a lot about Delilah, huh?" Alice chuckled.

"You got _that _right," Frank muttered.

"Come on, let's go help the girls!" Alice suggested, pulling Frank towards the group.

"If you insist, m'lady." Frank bowed playfully before following Alice to join the chase.

The families stayed for about fifteen minutes more after Alice and Frank joined the chase, until everyone decided that it was time for them to leave. They did so with joyful goodbyes, accompanied by several promises to write.

"Petunia, we're home!" Mr. Evans called, opening the door to his family's home.

"I'm in the living room!" Petunia yelled back.

Mr. Evans, Mrs. Evans and Lily made their way into the living room, where they were greeted with a Petunia who was- for once- positively glowing with happiness. Despite her sister's cold attitude towards her since she discovered Lily was a witch, Lily couldn't help but be happy for Petunia.

"Where's Vernon, dear?" Mrs. Evans asked, looking around as if to see the big man coming in from another room.

"He went home a few minutes ago," Petunia replied. "He said his uncle was visiting today, and he wanted to be the one to tell him the big news."

"Speaking of the big news," Mr. Evans began, "aren't you going to tell your sister?"

It seemed Petunia had just noticed Lily. Lily fully expected to be greeted with a haughty glare and an icy, "Welcome home, _freak_," and therefore was immensely surprised when Petunia flew at her with a hug and exclaimed, "Lily, you're home!"

"Hi, Tuney!" Lily greeted gleefully, hugging her sister back. It had been so long since Petunia had hugged her, or even behaved remotely kind to her.

"Guess what, Lily?" Petunia asked, pulling away from the hug and obviously bursting to tell her big news.

"What?"

"I'm getting married!" Petunia nearly shouted. Lily squealed in delight.

"Oh, Tuney, that's fantastic!" Lily hugged her sister quickly. "When did Vernon propose?"

"A week ago," Petunia said, beaming. "It was perfect- he took me out to my favorite restaurant, and proposed right after the dessert came! Oh, you should've seen him, he was so nervous; it was the cutest thing!"

"I'm so happy for you, Tuney!" Lily gushed, despite not being all that fond of her soon-to-be brother-in-law. "When's the wedding?"

"We were thinking sometime during the summer," Petunia answered. "I've always wanted to have an outdoor wedding."

"Oh, I remember! We always used to plan our weddings when we were younger!" Lily spoke wistfully, remembering the good ol' days, back when nobody knew she was a witch, and her sister was her best friend.

"Right; we used to do that all the time!" Petunia responded. She grew quiet, obviously remembering the days when she loved her little sister with all her heart. Taking a deep breath, she continued in a slightly hushed tone, "Lily, can I talk to you in private?"

Lily glanced at her parents, who nodded their compliance, clearly overjoyed that their daughters were getting along again. "Sure," she said to Petunia, and the sisters went upstairs to Petunia's room.

Petunia sat down on her bed, and patted the space next to her, silently asking for Lily to sit beside her. Lily did, and looked at Petunia expectantly.

"Listen, Lily," Petunia spoke after a moment, "I'm sure you're wondering why I'm being nice to you all of the sudden."

"Yeah, I kind of am," Lily admitted sheepishly.

"Do you remember Meredith?" Lily nodded; after Lily went off to Hogwarts, Meredith became Petunia's new best friend. "Well, after Vernon proposed… I called Meredith, to tell her the big news," Petunia continued. "I thought she'd be happy for me; but she wasn't. Instead, she told me that she didn't care, and that I was being rude by bragging to her. We got into a huge fight, and she told me she wasn't my friend anymore."

"Oh, Tuney, that's awful!" Lily gasped.

"Yeah," Petunia agreed. "It turns out that she had liked Vernon- and not the friendly type of like. But the main point is when Meredith abandoned me, so did all of my other so-called 'friends'." Petunia paused, forcing back a sob and wiping away a tear. "It turns out that they only pretended to be my friend to get close to Meredith; looking back on it, I should've known. She was always more popular than me."

"I'm so sorry, Tuney!" Lily exclaimed. "That's horrid! Oh, those girls are positively evil!"

"Yeah," Petunia agreed. "But anyways, my basic point is that, with no friends, for a while, I couldn't think of anybody to be my bridesmaids, let alone my Maid of Honor. I felt all alone; like nobody was on my side. And then, I remembered: I have you." Petunia took a deep breath before continuing, "I'm so sorry, Lily. I've been absolutely vile to you these past few years. I don't know if you could find it in yourself to forgive me, but, if you can… will you be my Maid of Honor?"

Lily felt tears stream out of her eyes. "Oh, Tuney, of course I can forgive you! Yes, I'll be your Maid of Honor!"

"Thank you, Lily!" Petunia exclaimed, hugging her younger sister. "I knew I could count on you!"

"I'll always be there for you, Tuney," Lily assured her older sister. "What are sisters for?"

Petunia smiled in reply, and hugged her again. "Thanks, Lily. Now, don't you have to go unpack?"

"Yeah, I do. See you at dinner?"

"Sure thing." Lily stood up and beamed at Petunia before exiting her room.

Lily quickly rushed to her own room, and saw her parents had brought up her trunk for her. Even though she didn't have an owl, she took out a piece of paper and a pen, and quickly scribbled out four letters to her friends:

_Dear Sasha, _

_Happy Christmas- again! I hope your break's going well. How was Remus' holiday party? I hope that Black, Potter and (maybe) Pettigrew weren't too annoying; though knowing them, they were. You won't believe what happened! My sister, Petunia, is getting married! And she asked me to be her Maid of Honor! I thought that she hated me, but I guess she realized that family is more important than any differences we may have. Oh, I'm so excited! The wedding's going to be during the summer. Anyways, enough about me- how are you? Has anything interesting happened over your break? Make sure to tell me if something did! How's Zevi, by the way? Pat him for me, will you? He's such a sweet wolf- if only he'd bite Potter, as well as Black!_

_See you back at Hogwarts!_

_Your friend,_

_Lily_

_Dear Mary,_

_How's your break so far? Have you gone to Diagon Alley yet? I hope not, because then you would've gone without me! You won't believe what happened. You remember how I told you my sister, Petunia, had a new boyfriend, at the beginning of the year? Well, they're getting married! Isn't it exciting? And the best part is I'm the Maid of Honor! Petunia asked me herself! I'm so happy she doesn't hate me anymore, Mary; this is sure to be the best Christmas break EVER! I'm so happy! The wedding's going to be this summer. Anyways, make sure to tell me if anything interesting happened to you over break! See you back at Hogwarts!_

_Your friend,_

_Lily_

_Dear Alice,_

_First of all, congratulations- again- on getting together with Frank! It's about time! I hope your break's going well so far (and that it's filled with your brand new boyfriend… :-D). Has anything interesting happened to you? Make sure to tell me if that's the case! You won't BELIEVE what happened- Petunia, my sister, is getting married, and she asked me to be her Maid of Honor! It was a huge surprise; she's hated me ever since we found out I'm a witch, and she's not. I'm so happy right now, I could sing, if I wasn't horribly tone deaf! The wedding's in the summer, and I can't wait. Oh, I'm so excited! See you back at school!_

_Your friend, _

_Lily_

_Dear Delilah,_

_How are you handling your brothers? Or, a better question, how did they react when they found out about you and Dexter Corner? Good luck with that, by the way! You two make such a good couple; I'm so happy for you! You HAVE to tell me if anything serious happens between you and him (kissing, him asking you to be his girlfriend, etc.). I have big news- my sister, Petunia, is engaged! The wedding's going to be in the summer, so I'll be able to go, too. Yes, I'm _actually_ invited to the wedding- and not only that, but Petunia asked me to be her Maid of Honor, too! I'm thrilled that she doesn't hate me anymore! This is sure to be the best Christmas break EVER! I'm super happy, and super excited! Anyways, I'll see you back at Hogwarts! Happy Christmas!_

_Your friend,_

_Lily_

Planning on sending the letters as soon as she had access to an owl (she had written to her parents from school, borrowing one of Hogwarts' owls to do so, hinting about wanting an owl; hopefully, they'd caught the hints), Lily unpacked her trunk just as she heard Petunia shout, "Lily! It's dinnertime!" Smiling to herself, Lily went downstairs to eat dinner with her family, _as _a family.

* * *

**_!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I HAVE 101 REVIEWS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I LOVE YOU ALL SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO MUCH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! You wouldn't believe how grateful I am for all of the response to this story! It makes me feel so, so honored!_**

**_Thank you so, so, so, so, so much to everyone for reading- and, in many cases, reviewing- my story! It means a lot to me! The next chapter is the Lupins' holiday party!_**

**_-Joelle8_**


	18. In Which Sasha is a Prankster

In Which Sasha is a Prankster

"PRONGSIE!" Sirius shouted, leaping on his best friend's bed. "Wake up!" When James did not respond, Sirius proceeded to bounce up and down on his bed until James groaned and sat up.

"You know, Padfoot, that's the same way Berg woke up Moony the other day; maybe you two have some stuff in common after all," James smirked, knowing this would horrify his friend. He was right.

"ACK!" Sirius exclaimed, hopping off the bed instantly. "There is _no_ way in _hell_ I am anything like that she-devil!"

"Whatever you say, Padfoot, whatever you say," James chuckled, getting out of bed and stretching. "Why did you wake me up, anyways?"

"How can you even ask that?!" Sirius asked incredulously. "It's Christmas! We have presents to open!"

"YES!" James shouted happily, dashing out of his room, yelling, "Come on, Pads!" behind him.

"Someone's happy this morning!" Mrs. Potter laughed as her son rushed past her and over to the Christmas tree. "Make that _two _someones," she added, chuckling, when Sirius flew by her a second later.

"Of course we're happy, Mrs. Potter!" Sirius said. "It's Christmas! Everyone's happy on Christmas!"

"Padfoot!" James spoke from where he was sitting cross-legged beside the Christmas tree, pulling presents onto his lap. "Come open your presents!"

"But you, me, Moony and Wormtail already gave each other our presents at Hogwarts!" Sirius reminded his friend, going to sit down next to him anyways.

"You didn't think we'd forget about getting presents for you, did you?" Mr. Potter asked, entering the room and sitting on the couch.

Sirius stared at Mr. and Mrs. Potter for a moment before protesting, "Oh, no, I can't let you guys give me presents. You're already letting me stay here; I couldn't ask for anything more-"

"Sirius," Mrs. Potter cut him off, sitting next to her husband on the couch, "we insist. It's no trouble, really."

"Are you sure?" Sirius asked, still reluctant to accept the gifts.

"We're sure," Mr. and Mrs. Potter replied. "Besides, you're a second son to us, anyway," Mr. Potter added.

Sirius beamed, and stood up to hug Mr. and Mrs. Potter. "Thank you," he said as he hugged the both of them.

"No need to thank us," they both replied. "Now, you open your presents!"

The boys obliged, eagerly tearing open their presents. Mr. and Mrs. Potter had bought both of them broom polishing kits, plenty of candy, and two books: Pranking: A History by P. R. Ankster (from Mrs. Potter) and How to Make a Professor Mad by Ha Ha Gotcha (by Mr. Potter; he promptly received a smack on the head for this from his wife, while James and Sirius roared with laughter).

Once they were done with that, they proceeded to run around the house throwing wrapping paper and ribbons everywhere.

"BOYS!" Mrs. Potter yelled up the stairs where she knew James and Sirius were. "It's time to get dressed!"

"For what?" James shouted back, peeking out from his bedroom.

"We're going to the Lupins' holiday party, remember?" Mrs. Potter reminded the boys. "We're leaving in fifteen minutes!"

"Oh, shit, I forgot!" Sirius exclaimed.

"Language, Sirius!"

"Sorry, Mrs. Potter!" Sirius apologized. "I'll be more careful about what I say next time. Oi! Prongs! Stop laughing at me and get your ar- I mean, your butt in here!" From the bottom of the stairs, Mrs. Potter could just make out her son getting pulled into his bedroom. She chuckled, and went to wait in the living room.

"Prongs, do you think there'll be any hot girls at the party?" Sirius asked up in James' bedroom, throwing on a shirt.

"I dunno, Padfoot," James replied, shrugging. "As far as I know, the only girl our age who'll be there is Berg."

"Holy shit, I completely forgot she'd be there!" Sirius yelped. "Jamesie, why must the Devil Incarnate ruin our Christmas?"

James took a deep breath. "Listen, Pads, I know you're going to hate me for say this, but… Berg's actually not that bad."

For a minute, Sirius just stared, wide-eyed, at James, trying to tell whether or not his friend was kidding. "What the fuck, Prongs?!" he finally barked in shock, realizing that James was not, in fact, joking around. "What the bloody hell makes you think that?!"

"Well, recently, she's actually been pretty nice; to me, at least. Hell, she even gave me a bunch of tips for getting Lily to go out with me!" James pointed out. "I'm not saying you have to like her or anything; I'm not sure how much I like her, either. All I'm saying is that… I don't hate her."

Sirius glared at James. "Traitor."

"Aw, c'mon, Padfoot, don't be like that!" James groaned.

"You're lucky you're my brother in every way but blood," Sirius said, "or else you'd be in deep shit. I guess- and it pains me to say this- you don't have to hate Berg. Just don't try to make me get along with her!"

"Deal," James grinned. "Come on, let's go down; we have a werewolf to visit!"

"Yeah," Sirius agreed, "and a demon to torment!" James rolled his eyes, and then he and Sirius went downstairs, ready to go to their friend's Christmas party.

"SASHI!" Mr. Berg yelled up the stairs to his daughter. "Ready to go to the Lupins' party yet?"

"Yes, Daddy," Sasha replied, trotting downstairs. She stopped when she saw her father. "Daddy, I'm going to say this veeeery slowly, so you can understand it: You. Cannot. Wear. Boxers. Out of the house."

"They're not _boxers_, they're cotton shorts!" Mr. Berg protested.

"This is also _December_, Daddy," Sasha pointed out. "The time has come for pants."

"Point taken," Mr. Berg conceded. "I take it you're going to force me to go change now?"

"You know me so well," Sasha spoke, chuckling. Mr. Berg darted upstairs, quickly changed into an outfit more suitable for the weather, and came back down.

"Do you approve?" He asked.

"Yes. Jeans are a very good thing," Sasha nodded importantly. "Can we Apparate? I really don't want to walk in the snow."

"Sure. You want to do Side-Along?"

"Yes, please." Sasha looked down to the miniature wolf sitting on her shoulder. "Ready for your first trip Apparating, Zevi?" Zevi barked in response, and Sasha giggled. "Just don't puke on my shoulder," she requested.

"Stop talking to your pet and take my arm, Sashi," Sasha's father rolled his eyes, holding out his arm. Sasha obliged, and the two Apparated into the Lupins' front yard. They trudged through the thick blankets of snow to the door, and before they could open it, a cheery Mrs. Lupin opened it for them.

"Sasha! Harry! Oh, you two look freezing! Come in, come in!" Mrs. Lupin ushered them in, taking their coats as she did so.

"Thank you, Mrs. Lupin," Sasha smiled charmingly. "Where's Remus?"

"He's up in his room, with James and Sirius. They only just arrived," Mrs. Lupin replied pleasantly. "Remus told me to tell you to go on up."

"Thanks, Mrs. Lupin," Sasha smiled again before going up to Remus' room, thinking about what a tragedy it was that Sirius Black had to be there to ruin her Christmas.

Sasha walked along the hallway in Remus' upstairs floor until she found Remus' bedroom door. She knocked on it and called, "Oi! Remus, it's me!"

Remus opened the door with a smile. "Hi, Sasha!" He greeted her with a brief hug. "Peter couldn't come after all, but James and Sirius are already here," he warned her as she walked in.

"I know; your mum told me," Sasha said. She turned to the aforementioned boys. "Potter, Black," she nodded curtly, giving James a half-smile. He wasn't nearly as bad as his friend.

"Berg," Sirius and James greeted, James giving her a half-smile of his own back.

"So, Remus, what were you all doing before I got here?" Sasha asked, ignoring her enemy's scorching glare.

"Well, er, we were sort of, um…" Remus trailed off, obviously reluctant to tell Sasha the truth.

"We were doing Marauder business," Sirius told her. "So, if you wouldn't mind leaving, we'd all appreciate it."

"Marauder business, eh? As in, pranking?" Sasha clarified.

"Yeah," Sirius said. "_You _wouldn't be any good at it."

Sasha raised an eyebrow. "You keep telling yourself that."

"Berg, stop pretending that you're good at everything!" Sirius exclaimed crossly. "We all know you're not- especially when it comes to pranking!"

"Prove it," Sasha replied. "Do you have any proof that I'm not as good a prankster as you three are?"

"Well- I- but- no- you- Remus, is Berg good at pranking or not?" Sirius turned to the werewolf.

Remus fiddled with the collar of his shirt uncomfortably. "Well, I hate to say it, Padfoot, but… Sasha's sort of one of the best pranksters I know."

"'Sort of'?" Sasha laughed. "Remmy, I taught you everything you know!"

"_You_ taught Moony how to prank?" James asked incredulously. "But he's been able to prank since we met him on the first day of First Year!"

"And I met him a few years before that," Sasha remarked in response. Sirius and James' mouths dropped open. "Oh, don't look so surprised; especially you, Black. Haven't I told you several times that you don't know nearly as much about me as you think you do?"

Sirius closed his mouth and glared at Sasha again. "I don't believe you. Prove that you're as good a prankster as you claim."

"Just let me plan a prank with you, and you'll see how good I am."

"Deal," Sirius nodded stiffly.

Sasha smirked, and pulled out Remus' desk chair to sit on it. She leaned in to look at the papers in James' hand. "Planning to prank your own party, Remus?" she asked, grinning, upon reading the papers. "I'm proud of you."

"Thanks, that means _so_ much," Remus said sarcastically, rolling his eyes and sitting down on the floor between Sasha and Sirius.

"We're planning on setting off a giant dungbomb at midnight in Remus' living room," James explained. "Here, you can see for yourself." He handed the papers to Sasha, and she took them from him, analyzing them with a visibly expert eye.

"It won't work," she murmured, shaking her head.

"What do you mean, 'It won't work'?!" Sirius exclaimed. "I made that plan myself!"

"The light fixture in the living room is shaped like a bowl," Sasha explained, disregarding Sirius' comment. "You plan on setting the dungbombs off with a quick 'Incendio' spell. If you do that, and the dungbombs are in the light fixture like you're planning on doing, then not only will you hit the light fixture and possibly cause the house to catch fire, but if the spell actually _does _hit the dungbombs, then very little stench will make it out of the fixture, because the shape of the light fixture will encase the fumes."

Remus looked over the paper once more before declaring, "Sorry, Padfoot, but she's right."

"Traitor," Sirius glared, crossing his arms angrily.

"Okay, so this plan won't work," James stated, taking the papers from Sasha. "What do you suggest we do, then?" He asked Sasha, to Sirius' horror.

"Well," Sasha began, taking a pen and piece of paper from Remus' desk, "we can't put the dungbombs in the plant, because then we risk setting the plant on fire. We can't put them on any tables, because they could catch fire, too." Sasha paused and thought for a moment, tapping the pen against her chin. Finally, she came up with an idea. "I suggest we disguise the dungbombs as ornaments. We'll pretend that we're just playing around with the ornaments, when we'll really be putting them in all the upper corners of the room. Then, they'll be out of the way of everything else, so there's a much smaller risk of anything setting fire. Plus, with the dungbombs so spread out, the stench will spread throughout the whole room."

"As brilliant as that plan is, Sasha," Remus said, "there's one problem. James and I are still sixteen; we can't use magic outside of school yet."

Sasha shrugged. "No matter. Black and I can do it."

Sirius' head shot up. "What makes you think I'll do what you say?"

Sasha ignored this. "Remus, Potter, you two can distract people while Black and I raise the dungbombs. That way, we won't have to bother disguising the dungbombs as ornaments. Actually, it's fairly convenient- do you think you guys could get everyone out of the room for about ten minutes? That should be enough time for Black and me to get the dungbombs in place."

"Didn't you hear me, Berg?" Sirius stood up, aggravated. "I have no intentions to do what you say!"

Taking a deep breath to calm herself down, Sasha stood up as well and walked over to Sirius so that she was so close to him that she could feel his breath on her. Suppressing the tingles shooting down her spine, she said, "Don't be an idiot, Black. It's not a matter of doing what I say; it's a matter of following the plan! Do you want to set off dungbombs in Remus' living room tonight, or not?"

For a few moments, Sirius was silent. He had rarely been this close to Sasha before; part of him wanted to lean down and kiss her-

_Whoa. Where the hell is THAT coming from?! _He blinked the unfamiliar thoughts away from his mind a few times before he finally muttered, "Alright, I'll do it."

"Good," Remus said. "Everyone clear on the plan? James and I will get everyone out of the living room for about ten minutes, while Sasha and Sirius will get the dungbombs in place. Then, at midnight, Sirius and Sasha will set off the dungbombs, while James and I make sure nobody's looking at them."

"Got it," James spoke.

"All clear," Sasha declared.

"Let's get this over with," Sirius mumbled sourly.

James and Remus exited the room, but Sirius and Sasha stayed put for a few seconds longer, staring into each other's eyes, before they both snapped out of it, glared at each other, and hurried to follow their friends downstairs.

"OI! LOOK AT THAT!" James shouted, extra loudly so that everyone in the living room turned to look at him.

"IT'S A FIREWORKS SHOW!" Remus asked, just as loudly, pretending to look at something in the distance through the window. "COME WATCH, EVERYBODY!" he called, running outside. James followed him, and eventually, everyone else besides Sasha and Sirius did, too.

"Quick; get them in place, I'm not sure how long a nonexistent fireworks show will keep them out there," Sasha hissed urgently.

"I'm not stupid, Berg," Sirius retorted. The time when he had had an odd urge to kiss her seemed like it had happened years ago- and yet, for whatever reason, Sirius found himself repeatedly glancing at Sasha out of the corner of his eye. He quickly Levitated his dungbombs into their corners and muttered a sticking charm.

"You could've fooled me," Sasha muttered in response before putting her dungbombs in the two remaining corners, refusing to look at Sirius. She could feel him staring at her, and though she didn't know why, it made her exceedingly uncomfortable- even if it did send a rather pleasant shiver up her back.

"Why do you hate me so much, Berg?" Sirius asked, out of the blue.

Sasha was startled, but didn't show it. Thankfully, she had a good response. "Well, Black," Sasha started, "for one thing, on the first train ride, you teased me about crying over leaving my daddy. And then, as I got to know, I realized that you were an arrogant, pompous, vain, conceited, haughty, mean, bullying toerag. You certainly didn't help matters by continuing teasing and bullying me." She paused, and continued, "Why do you ask?"

Sirius shrugged. "Curious, I guess."

"Does that mean I can ask you why you hate me so much?" Sasha inquired, arms crossed.

"Why?"

"Curious, I guess." Sasha smirked. "Come on; I answered you, so you have to answer me."

"If you insist," Sirius said. After thinking for a moment, he told Sasha, "Well, you've never been exactly nice to me, have you? I mean, sure, I teased you on that train ride, but that was after you snapped at me, and told me to bugger off and leave you the hell alone. Then, in school, you insulted me in every possible opportunity, and hexing me as soon as we learned how to. You've always been mean and rude to me and all my friends besides Remus, and you always show off at every possible opportunity. You keep pretending that you're this perfect little angel in front of teachers and other adults, and you use that to _your_ advantage and to my_ dis_advantage."

Sasha looked at Sirius, and he was surprised to see that she looked not angry, but… bemused. "Fair enough," she admitted. Giving a little chuckle, she continued, "There's one thing I don't understand, though."

"Oh? And what's that?"

"Why do you keep insisting that I'm a show-off and a teacher's pet?"

"Because you _are_."

"No, I'm really not," Sasha shook her head. She looked like she was going to continue, but then the guests at the party walked back in, and she abruptly closed her mouth. Sirius couldn't help but wonder what Sasha was going to say. And how her lips had suddenly become so plump and…

_Augh! Stupid thoughts! GET OUT OF MY HEAD!_

"You two didn't kill each other!" Remus exclaimed ecstatically, running over to them. Sirius thanked the werewolf inwardly, more than happy that his arrival had ended his strange train of thought. From the relieved look Remus' face, he had been truly worried that he would arrive inside to find his two best friends dead thanks to each other.

"Actually, we had a surprisingly civil conversation," Sasha replied matter-of-factly.

James' eyebrows shot up so high that they disappeared beneath his hair. "About?"

"Why we hate each other," Sirius said. James and Remus let out hearty laughs.

"Oh? And why do you hate each other?" Remus asked, still chuckling.

"Simple," Sasha spoke. "Ever since we've known each other, I've been a bitch to him, and he's been an absolute jackass to me." James and Remus laughed even louder at the affronted look on Sirius' face.

"What time is it?" James asked, looking around for a clock.

"It's… eleven. We have an hour until we have to set off the dungbombs," Remus replied, looking at his watch.

Suddenly, delicious smells wafted in from the kitchen. "Mmm…" Sasha sighed dreamily. "Remus, is that your mum's famous pecan pie I smell?"

Remus sniffed the air. "Yes… yes it is."

Zevi barked from Sasha's shoulder. "You want some pie too, Zevi?" Sasha asked her pet. Zevi barked in response. "Me, too. Let's go!" She ran into the kitchen, Zevi still sitting on her shoulder.

"And to think I thought Berg was weird before…" Sirius trailed off, shaking his head. "Now that she's got that damn dog-"

"WOLF!" Sasha shouted from the kitchen, startling all the boys, especially Sirius.

"Holy shit, Berg has better hearing than you, Moony!" Sirius exclaimed.

"I know. It's quite scary, really," Remus remarked.

"I want pie!" James piped up all of the sudden, running to the kitchen.

"PRONGS! Wait for me!" Sirius shouted, running after him. Remus followed, muttering about his crazy friends under his breath.

"Three…" Sasha whispered.

"Two…" Remus followed.

"One!" Sirius exclaimed as Remus' watch struck midnight.

"IT'S MIDNIGHT!" James shouted, running around in circles across the room from where Sasha and Sirius were. His parents and Remus ran after him, attempting to get him to quiet down and use, and Mrs. Potter called it, his "inside voice".

"Incendio," Sasha and Sirius muttered, their wands pointing at the dungbombs. Instantly, the dungbombs exploded, emitting a fowl stench the quickly spread throughout the whole living room of Remus' home. The party guests, including Remus, Sasha, James and Sirius, clutched their noses, moaning about the awful smell.

James and Remus rejoined Sasha and Sirius and admired their work.

"I have to admit, Berg; you're as good a prankster as you made yourself out to be," James stated.

"Thanks, Potter," Sasha replied. "And you obviously are unable to feel embarrassment."

"It's a gift," James smiled crookedly. Just then, his parents made their way over to them. "Uh-oh," James and Sirius muttered under their breaths.

"James, Sirius," Mrs. Potter looked at the two boys formidably, "did you have something to do with this?"

Sasha thought quickly and cleared her throat, drawing the attention to herself. "Actually, it was me," she told James' parents. James and Sirius gaped at her. "I'm Sasha Berg; it's a pleasure to meet you," Sasha extended her hand in greeting, smiling.

Mr. Potter shook her hand suspiciously. "Well, Sasha, you're certainly honest. I'm Mr. Potter."

"And I'm Mrs. Potter," James' mother smiled kindly, taking Sasha's hand and shaking it firmly. "Do you go to school with James and Sirius?"

"Yes, I do," Sasha replied politely. "In fact, we're all Sixth Year Gryffindors."

"Are you really?" Mrs. Potter asked gleefully. "Well, it's a pleasure to meet one of James and Sirius' friends from school!"

"Actually, Mrs. Potter," Sirius spoke up, "we aren't really friends…"

"Oh. Well, it's still nice to meet you, Sasha!" Mrs. Potter exclaimed kindly.

"Do your folks know that you set off the dungbombs, Sasha?" Mr. Potter asked somewhat sternly.

Sasha looked around before her eyes rested on her father, and she giggled. "Considering the look my dad's giving me, I'd guess that's the case." Indeed, Mr. Berg was looking at Sasha pointedly, jerking his head for her to go to him. "I think he wants to leave. It was nice meeting you, Mr. and Mrs. Potter. Happy Christmas, Remus!" After a moment, she added, "You, too, Potter," before skipping over to her father.

"She seems like a nice girl," Mrs. Potter said. She didn't seem to notice that Sasha had completely ignored Sirius- who was now pouting- when she left.

"What was her last name? Berg?" Mr. Potter asked, scrutinizing Sasha and her father as they left, arm in arm, laughing.

"Yeah," James told him. "Why?"

"I know her father vaguely from school," Mr. Potter replied. "He kept to himself mostly; in fact, I never saw him hanging out with anyone at all. If I remember correctly, he spent most of his time in the library."

"Oh, was that Harry Berg?" Mrs. Potter asked, and her husband nodded. "I remember him! For a Slytherin, he behaved an awful lot like a Ravenclaw. He looked so different tonight, I didn't recognize him!"

"It happens to lots of people. He's clearly a devoted father, though," Mr. Potter remarked. "I wonder who Sasha's mother is. Berg didn't have any serious relationships with anyone during school, if I remember correctly."

"Well, I don't know why we're standing here gossiping about Harry Berg!" Mrs. Potter exclaimed. Turning to James and Sirius, she said, "It's time to go home, boys."

"Aw, Mum!" James groaned in protest. "But-"

"No buts, mister!" Mrs. Potter cut him off.

"Fine," James pouted.

"Bye, Moony," Sirius said, giving the werewolf a man-hug.

"Bye, Padfoot. Bye, Prongs."

"Bye, Moony," James spoke, giving Remus a man-hug as well.

"Make sure to tell your mother how lovely the party was, Remus," Mr. Potter requested.

"I will, thanks," Remus responded. "Happy Christmas!"

"Happy Christmas!" The Potters and Sirius chorused, before Apparating back to Potter Manor.

* * *

**_So, what'd you think of the party? It seems like young Sirius is starting to feel some attraction to Miss Berg! :D He's still got a looooooong way to go, though; they both do, hate to break it to you. _**

**_PLEASE review! It makes my day, it really does!_**

**_Thank you all SO much for reading and reviewing so much!_**

**_-Joelle8_**


	19. In Which Delilah Goes on a Date

In Which Delilah Goes on a Date

Delilah took a deep breath, surveying herself in her mirror. She was going on her first date _ever _today with Dexter Corner, and she couldn't be more excited; but she also couldn't be more nervous. Dexter was everything she had looked for in a bloke: good looking, fairly smart, funny, and a Quidditch lover. She just hoped she didn't mess this up!

"Delilah!" Mrs. McPhee called up the stairs. "Your date should be here soon! Come down!" Ever since Delilah had told her mother that she was going on a date, Mrs. McPhee had relished saying it. This reaction had been marginally better and more preferred, believe it or not, than her brothers'; they had begun cracking their knuckles menacingly, grumbling under their breaths about 'killing the Goddamn bloke if he hurts their sister'. To which, Delilah had yelled at them to leave her and Dexter be, and _not _beat Dexter black and blue.

"I'm coming, Mum!" Delilah yelled, taking one last look at herself in the mirror before joining her mother downstairs.

"Oh, Delilah, you look _beautiful_!" Mrs. McPhee gushed, taking in her daughter's blouse, skirt, and tiny bit of make-up. Just then, the doorbell rang. "Oh! He's here! You get the door, Delilah- he'll want to see you first! After all, it's you he's going on a date with!"

"Okay," Delilah said, taking a deep breath and opening the door. Dexter, looking very handsome in a blue polo shirt and khaki slacks, smiled down at her.

"Hi, Delilah," Dexter greeted, sounding slightly nervous.

"Hi, Dexter," Delilah grinned. "Come on in."

Dexter walked into Delilah's house, and Mrs. McPhee mouthed to Delilah, "He's _cute_!" Delilah nodded, and motioned for her to say something. "Hello, dear," Mrs. McPhee held her hand out to Dexter, smiling, "I'm Mrs. McPhee; it's a pleasure to meet you."

"It's nice to meet you. I'm Dexter Corner," Dexter said cordially, shaking Mrs. McPhee's outstretched hand. Just then, Delilah's father and brothers- all seven of them- came downstairs to meet Delilah's date. Dexter's face adopted a look of alarmed surprise for a moment, but he quickly masked it. He leaned down and whispered in Delilah's ear, "Who are they?"

Delilah replied, "My dad and my brothers… sorry." Dexter gulped, but faced Delilah's male family bravely, and approached Delilah's father.

"You must be Mr. McPhee," Dexter stuck out his hand politely. "I'm Dexter Corner. It's a pleasure to meet you."

"Same to you," Mr. McPhee spoke, shaking Dexter's hand. He let go, looking surprisingly satisfied (he always claimed that you could always tell a lot about a person from their handshake), and barked at his sons, "Boys! Introduce yourselves to Dexter Corner."

"I'm Kurt," Kurt stepped forward, and shook Dexter's hand.

"I'm Arthur," Arthur took Dexter's hand and shook it roughly, silently telling Dexter, "Hurt my sister, and you'll have to deal with us."

The rest of Delilah's brothers introduced themselves, and Dexter smiled, "It's nice to meet all of you." He turned to Delilah and asked, "Are you ready to go?"

"Yeah," Delilah responded, grinning. "Bye Mum, Dad, Kurt, Arthur, David, Sam, George, Max, and Alexander!" She exclaimed, hugging her little two-year-old brother; he was her favorite, admittedly.

"Bye, Delilah!" Her family waved cheerily, all the while shooting Dexter glances that said, "Treat her well- or else." Delilah smiled at her family in return, and led Dexter out the door.

"Sorry about that," Delilah apologized as soon as she and Dexter got out the door. "My family's a bit… er… over protective, you could say."

"I can tell," Dexter chuckled. "I wish I had a family like that."

"No, you really don't," Delilah laughed. "There's no privacy in my family whatsoever."

"It's better than being an only child," Dexter replied. "It can get pretty lonesome."

"Maybe, but at least you have your own time and space! Not to mention a quiet house!"

"I may have my own time and space, but my house is anything but quiet- my family is one of the noisiest you'll find."

"Is that so?" Delilah asked, smiling. So far, so good. "You're pretty quiet, though."

"My own version of rebelling, I guess," Dexter shrugged.

"You know, you still haven't told me where we're going," Delilah reminded him. It was true; Dexter had insisted on keeping where they were going on their date a surprise.

"Do you _really _want to know?" Dexter asked, grinning.

"Yes, I _really _want to know," Delilah answered, also grinning.

"If you're sure. You know that Muggle movie theater up the street?" Dexter inquired.

"Yeah," the Gryffindor tomboy nodded, wondering where on earth this was going.

"Well, there's this movie out, called 'Rocky'. It looks pretty good, and I thought we'd both like it," Dexter explained, looking slightly anxious.

"Oh yeah, I saw a commercial for that on my dad's T.V.! I wanted to see it!" Delilah exclaimed happily, beaming. Dexter breathed a sigh of relief.

"Good," Dexter said. "I was worried you wouldn't be interested in a movie about a boxer!"

"How could I _not _be?" Delilah asked incredulously. "Boxing has action, sport, and plenty of blood and gore; it's easily the best Muggle sport there is!"

"I couldn't agree more," Dexter told her. The two walked in a comfortable silence for a little while until they arrived at the movie theater. Delilah began to pull some Muggle money out of her pocket, but Dexter saw this and declared stubbornly, "No way; I'm paying. My treat."

"Oh, I couldn't let you do that-" Delilah protested, but Dexter interrupted her.

"It's, like, one of the rules for a date that the bloke pays," Dexter assured her, already pulling money out of his wallet. "I insist."

"Can I at least buy my own snacks?" Delilah questioned.

Dexter shook his head. "Nope- I insist on paying."

"Well, if you insist," Delilah sighed teasingly. Dexter smiled triumphantly just as it was their turn to buy tickets.

"We'll have two tickets for the 4:00 showing of 'Rocky', please," Dexter said politely to the lady at the ticket counter. He was clearly used to this.

The woman at the ticket booth gave Dexter two tickets and told him in a monotone, "That'll be two pounds fifty." Dexter took the coins out of his pocket, handed them to the woman, and then he and Delilah walked inside the movie theater.

"Have you ever been here before?" Dexter asked Delilah as they waited in line to buy snacks.

"No. Have you?" Dexter faced her.

"Yeah. My mum's a Muggle, so she's taken me a few times," Dexter replied.

"I was wondering how you were so good with Muggle money!" Delilah smiled. Then she turned her attention to the many food options. "Hmm… oh, they have popcorn! Yum!"

"You like popcorn?"

"It was my favorite food until I discovered Chocolate Frogs," Delilah said matter-of-factly, chuckling lightly.

Dexter chuckled, "What makes Chocolate Frogs your favorite food?"

"Not only do they taste delicious, but you also have the fun of trying to catch them!" Delilah explained, smiling at many fond memories of chasing after the devious candy. "I credit my current magnificent skills as a Chaser partially to having to catch Chocolate Frogs."

Dexter laughed. "So, I take it you're a big Quidditch fan?"

"'Big' doesn't even _begin _to cover it," Delilah said. "You could say I was obsessed with Quidditch, and I wouldn't even try to deny it."

"Guess we have something in common then," Dexter smiled. "I'm the Ravenclaw Keeper."

"Oh, yeah!" Delilah remembered. "I've scored on you loads of times!" she teased, smirking.

"Not _loads _of times," Dexter protested.

"Can I help you?" The man at the snack counter asked, sounding extremely bored.

"Yes, just hold on a moment, please," Dexter requested, and turned to Delilah. "So, Delilah, what do you want?"

Delilah thoughtfully mulled over how nice her name sounded when Dexter said it and examined the list of snacks for a moment before deciding, "I want a medium popcorn and a small soda."

"You're sure?" Dexter checked.

"Yes, I'm quite sure," Delilah assured him.

"Okay then," Dexter said, and turned to the man at the counter. "We'd like two medium popcorns and two small sodas, please."

"Coming right up," the man at the snack counter drawled, and quickly gave Dexter and Delilah two medium popcorns and two small sodas. Dexter handed the man the money with a smile, and he and Delilah walked out of line and began looking for the theater number on their ticket, number three.

"Here it is!" Delilah exclaimed, pointing to a sign that said "Theater #3: Rocky, 4:00 PM".

"We're right on time," Dexter stated, holding up his wrist and looking down at his watch, which read 3:50. He and Delilah then walked into the theater right as the previews began and sat down in the back, both smiling.

"That was such an awesome movie!" Delilah spoke loudly, grinning broadly. She and Dexter were walking back to her house, and they had just exited the theater, having finished watching the movie. "Didn't you love the fight scene at the end? So graphic! I wish there were movies in the Wizarding World!"

"Yeah; Rocky's a damn good fighter, for a rookie," Dexter remarked.

"Don't you think it would be fun, to be that good a fighter?" Delilah mused suddenly. "I mean, think about it: you could get away with anything, because everyone would be too afraid of you to oppose you!"

"That's one way of looking at it," Dexter chuckled. "On the other hand, if people were too afraid to oppose you, how do you know people wouldn't be too afraid of you to be your friend?"

"You have a point," Delilah conceded, rather reluctantly. "I still think that boxing looks like a lot of fun, though." _I wonder if my brothers know anything about it? I'll have to look into that sometime… _she thought.

Dexter arched his eyebrows. "Even though you just saw a movie where the boxers get seriously beat up, you still think that boxing would be fun?"

"Injuries are a part of any sport," Delilah shrugged nonchalantly. "You have to take the pain to play the game."

"True," Dexter agreed. After a moment's pause, he added, "You know, you're not like other girls, Delilah."

"Of course I'm not. Everyone's different, after all," Delilah stated, her tone condescending.

"Yeah, but that's not exactly what I mean," Dexter began. "Most girls would rather go to chick flicks and romance movies than watch fighting movies like 'Rocky'; but you loved that movie. Not a lot of girls really like sports, and yet, you've admitted that you're obsessed with Quidditch. You're not afraid to speak your mind like a lot of people are, and you don't care if people don't like you, or what you have to say."

They had stopped walking, and had subconsciously walked a bit closer to each other. "Is that a good thing?" Delilah asked nervously. She really liked Dexter, more than she had any of her previous crushes (yes, she had had crushes before), and she hoped that he felt the same way.

"Yeah," Dexter smiled, "it is. I- I really like you, Delilah."

Delilah blushed, but replied, grinning, "I really like you, too, Dexter."

Dexter took a deep breath, and moved closer to Delilah, so that he was directly in front of her. "Delilah," he started, "will- will you be my girlfriend?"

Delilah beamed, and answered, "Yes." Dexter's face lit up happily, and he tucked a strand of Delilah's hair behind her ear. He took a step closer to Delilah, and then leaned down and kissed her. It took Delilah a moment to process what was happening- that she was getting her first kiss- but once she realized it, she kissed him back, and deepened the kiss, wrapping her arms around his neck. His tongue grazed her lip, asking for entrance, which Delilah granted. _Merlin's beard, we're snogging! _Delilah realized as her tongue explored Dexter's mouth. They eventually broke apart for breath, panting a little.

"Wow," Dexter said, his face flushed, his formerly immaculate hair disheveled.

"'Wow' is right," Delilah chuckled. There was a comfortable silence for a moment, and then Delilah stated, "I should probably be getting home now, before my brothers send out a search party for me."

"I wouldn't put it past them," Dexter laughed. Delilah unwrapped her arms from around his neck, and took his hand, smiling.

"You know," Delilah said thoughtfully as the couple began continued their walk to the McPhee residence, "if we had done that a few hours later, then we would've followed the New Years tradition of kissing someone at midnight."

"That we would've," Dexter chuckled. After a moment, he added, almost shyly, "You know, that was my first kiss."

"It was mine, too," Delilah blushed.

"You're a natural, then," Dexter complimented.

"As are you," Delilah replied, smiling. The two stopped and faced each other, still holding hands, realizing that they had arrived on Delilah's doorstep.

"So, I'll see you back at Hogwarts?" Dexter asked hopefully.

"Of course," Delilah assured him. For whatever reason, she found that she was unable to stop smiling.

"Is it okay if I sit with my friends, though?" Dexter inquired nervously. "I mean, not that I wouldn't like to sit with you, but I already promised my friends I'd sit with them, and-"

"No worries; my friends will probably murder me in my sleep- or out of it, for that matter- if I don't sit with them on the train anyways," Delilah laughed, squeezing his hand reassuringly.

"They don't seem like that type, but I guess you know them better than I do," Dexter shrugged, his grin a mile long. He leant down, and gave Delilah a chaste kiss. "I should go now; I have a sneaking suspicion that we're being watched."

"We probably are," Delilah admitted ruefully. "So… bye."

"Bye," Dexter smiled, kissing Delilah on the cheek before walking back to his house. Delilah watched him go for a minute before going inside her home, having a most embarrassing urge to squeal like all the girls in the girly romance movies she hated so much.

"So, how'd it go?" Mrs. McPhee asked her daughter as soon as she walked through the door, leaning forward from her perch on the couch, right by the window. Delilah had a feeling that her mother knew how the end of her date had gone.

"Wonderfully," Delilah sighed, beaming, and her mother fought joyful tears from escaping at the sight of her daughter so happy. "I'm going to go write to my friends," Delilah said, running upstairs to her room.

"Delilah, honey?" Mrs. McPhee called as her daughter- her one and only- was halfway up the steps. Delilah turned around, and Mrs. McPhee couldn't help but notice that her daughter's lips were the slightest bit swollen.

"Yeah, Mum?"

Her smile watery, Mrs. McPhee told Delilah, "Congratulations. I'm so happy that you finally found a boy who you really fancy… Dexter seems good for you."

"He is," Delilah nodded wistfully. "He's so nice, and he doesn't mind that I'm not girly- he likes it, in fact, he told me so!- he's funny, he loves and plays Quidditch, he's smart, he's fit, he's just… perfect." The Gryffindor blushed, biting her lip as if inwardly regretting saying so much- which she was.

Mrs. McPhee giggled. "He sounds perfect for you, dear."

"I- I think he is, Mum," Delilah said after a moment, almost hesitantly. "I know I haven't known him that long, but… this just feels _right_. I don't know why, it just does, you know?"

"I know," Mrs. McPhee smiled, forcing back tears of happiness. "It's how I felt about your father the first time I met him."

"Really?"

"Really," Mrs. McPhee nodded. "Now, go on up to your room. I may not know your friends as well as you do, but I know them well enough to know that they will certainly kill you if you don't tell them every single detail about your date!" She paused, and chuckled. "Merlin, I'm still getting used to saying that… my Delilah, on a _date_! I never thought I'd see the day!"

"_Thanks_, Mum," Delilah rolled her eyes sarcastically. "Really, though… thanks."

"For what?" Mrs. McPhee frowned.

"For always being there for me, and helping me out," Delilah informed her mother solemnly before her face broke out into a huge grin. "Not to mention for locking Dad and the others in their rooms!"

"How'd you know?" Mrs. McPhee mock gasped.

"If you hadn't, they'd all be down here!" Delilah laughed. Mrs. McPhee, knowing this was more than true, joined in.

The two McPhee women eventually stopped laughing, and just looked at each other for a moment. Truthfully, neither of them had very much alone time to talk with each other- what with Mrs. McPhee being the working mother of eight, and Delilah being at school most of the time- so this moment was rather unexpected.

Neither of them were complaining, though.

"Well, I'm going to go upstairs now," Delilah said slowly. "You're right about my friends, Mum- they _will _kill me if I don't tell them everything! I have a hell of a lot of work ahead of me!"

"Delilah Elizabeth McPhee! Watch your language!" Mrs. McPhee ordered sternly. "What if Alex overhears you? Or Max? Or Sam? Or George? We don't want them getting the wrong ideas about language! Then they'll influence the other kids wrongly when they get to Hogwarts, and we don't want that, I'd rather not have the other parents sent me a flock of Howlers-"

"Mum, _relax_!" Delilah chortled. "I'm sure none of them heard! Their doors are locked, remember?"

"Oh- right," Mrs. McPhee sighed embarrassedly. "Sorry about that. I had a freak-out moment; you'll understand when you're a mother someday."

Delilah blushed at this concept and spoke, "Yeah. Good night, Mum- I'll see you in the morning."

"Of course, Delilah, dear," Mrs. McPhee smiled. "Good night."

The Gryffindor smiled at her mother once more before running upstairs to her room, ready to begin her letters. Back downstairs in the living room, Mrs. McPhee wiped a tear from her cheek and choked out, "My little girl is growing up," trying to decide whether to be ecstatic or bawl her eyes out.

It was bittersweet, but it was the life of a mother. And Jane McPhee wouldn't change it for anything in the world.

* * *

**_I decided Delilah and her family- her mom specifically, as you can tell- deserved a chapter! What'd you think? Please review!_**

**_I'd just liek to say, I'm getting so many more hits and reviews nowadays than I've ever imagined, and I couldn't be more honored! I love all you guys so much! PLEASE keep it up- your comments really make my day! _**

**_Thank you so much, everyone!_**

**_-Joelle8_**


	20. In Which They Go To Diagon Alley

In Which They Go To Diagon Alley

On the morning of January 3, 1977, Mary received a letter from Delilah. She opened it hurriedly and squealed as she read it:

_Dear Mary,_

_Remember how I told you and the girls about how Dexter Corner and I lived near each other, and were planning on hanging out over break? Well, he took me to see the Muggle movie 'Rocky', and he asked me to be his girlfriend! Not only that, but we kissed- snogged, in fact! I feel like one of those superficial bimbos by being so excited by this, but I can't help it! Dexter's so sweet, and he loves Quidditch, too; did you know he's the Ravenclaw Keeper?_

_Anyways, my parents told me that I could go to Diagon Alley this Saturday, January 5. Do you want to meet me there? Alice, Lily and Sasha already agreed to meet me by Flourish and Blotts at 10:00 A.M. Please write back; I really hope you can come! I miss seeing all you girls!_

_Your friend,_

_Delilah_

"Hey, Mum!" Mary ran to her parents' room. "Can I meet up with my friends at Diagon Alley on Saturday?"

"Of course, dear!" Mrs. Macdonald exclaimed. "What time?"

"I'd meet up with the girls at 10:00, so I guess we'd have to leave here at 9:45."

"Sounds great! I'll drive you down to the Muggle entrance," Mrs. Macdonald replied.

"Thanks, Mum!" Mary said gratefully. She returned to her room and quickly scribbled a letter to Delilah:

_Dear Delilah,_

_Congratulations! Dexter sound perfect for you! I'm so happy for you. My mum said I can meet you and the girls at Diagon Alley- I'll be outside of Flourish and Blotts at 10! I still need to buy myself a new copy of __Fantastic Beast and Where to Find __Them! See you then!_

_Your friend,_

_Mary_

"MARY!" Delilah, Alice, Lily and Sasha shouted as Mary walked towards Flourish and Blotts. Mary grinned at her friends and waved excitedly, running up to them and giving all four of her friends hugs (including the reluctant Sasha and Delilah).

"Here; I wrote letters to all of you, but I didn't have any owls to send them with!" Lily exclaimed, handing letters to all of her friends. "Now that Mary's here, you can read them!"

Alice, Mary, Delilah and Sasha silently read the letters, and then squealed in delight once they had finished reading. "Lily, this is fantastic!" Alice chirped, hugging the redhead.

"I can't say I'm not surprised," Delilah admitted, "but I'm happy for you, nonetheless!"

"Honestly, I never saw this coming, but congratulations!" Sasha spoke, smiling.

"I know how much you missed being friends with your sister, Lily; congratulations," Mary said kindly, giving Lily a hug.

"Thanks, guys!" Lily beamed. "Petunia's been nothing but nice to me this whole break. It's been wonderful!"

"I'm sure it has been, Lily," Alice grinned. "Well, girls, I think it's time to do what us girls do best."

"What's that?" Delilah asked.

"SHOPPING!" Alice yelled cheerfully.

"Oh, good; I need to buy a book," Mary remembered.

Alice crossed her arms and pouted. "You're no fun. Books are boring!"

"Books are _necessary,_ Alice," Sasha reminded her. "Don't worry; Mary can buy her book, we can look around in Flourish and Blotts for a bit, and _then _we'll shop for other things."

"Yay!" Alice exclaimed, clapping her hands excitedly. "Okay, let's go!" She and the girls walked into Flourish and Blotts, and fifteen minutes later, walked out. Mary, Sasha and Lily's arms were weighed down with their bags of books, and Alice and Delilah were staring at them in bewilderment.

"I don't get it," Delilah shook her head. "You guys actually like reading _that _much?"

"Of course!" Lily replied. "Reading takes you into other worlds, and distracts you from the problems around you. It's the ultimate therapy."

"I agree," Mary nodded. "Besides, it's a very good way to spend your spare time."

Sasha shrugged and stated, "Only half of these books are for me. The other half are for my dad. He gave me a list." She pulled a small sheet of paper out of her pocket.

"You know, Sasha, you're the epitome of a Daddy's girl," Lily laughed.

"I know," Sasha grinned proudly. Suddenly, a bulge in her jacket pocket barked. "Zevi!" Sasha exclaimed, pulling out her miniature wolf.

"You bring Zevi everywhere, don't you?" Alice laughed.

"Zevi won't let me go anywhere without him!" Sasha responded. "He's real attached to me, if I do say so myself; it's the cutest thing!" Zevi barked, as if to say, "I know I'm adorable!" Sasha chuckled and placed the wolf on her shoulder.

"Hey, can we go to the Owlery?" Lily asked. "My parents said I could buy an owl!"

"Awesome!" Delilah exclaimed. "The Owlery it is!"

In the Owlery, Lily only had to look around for a moment before deciding which owl she wanted. "This one," she decided, walking over to a small barn owl that was hooting quietly. "Its feathers are the same color as my hair!"

Alice rolled her eyes. "Merlin, Lily, you are _so _vain!"

"Am not!" Lily protested. "I just think that it's a sign that Puck was meant to be my owl!"

Delilah raised an eyebrow. "'Puck'?"

"You know, like the fairy from A Midsummer Night's Dream," Lily explained.

"Oh, I read that book!" Mary exclaimed. "If you can understand the Old English, it's quite good!"

"Um, guys?" Sasha spoke up. "Can we buy Puck and get out of here? A bunch of the owls are looking at Zevi like he's lunch."

"Right," Lily said, and bought her owl. Thankfully, Puck had not been one of the owls that had considered Zevi their food; rather, he shied away from Sasha's pet, as if sensing that he was a wolf, however small he might be.

"I want my toad!" Alice piped up suddenly. "Let's go to the Magical Menagerie." Alice rushed to the crowded Wizarding pet store before any of her friends could protests. They followed her with sighs and looks at each other that clearly said, "What are we going to do with her?"

"Toby, oh Toby," Alice was singing, quite loudly, and quite off-key. She was holding Toby the toad in the air, and Mary, Lily, Sasha and Delilah had their hands firmly covering their ears. "Toby the toad!"

"Alright!" Delilah shouted when she couldn't take it anymore. "We know that you got a toad named Toby! _Stop singing already_!"

"I shan't do anything if you don't say 'Please' Alice laughed.

"Alice, don't steal Peeves' lines!" Sasha exclaimed, exasperated.

"_Please _stop singing!" Mary said quietly.

"Well, since Mary asked so nicely," Alice sighed, placing her toad back in its cage. "So, where do we go now?"

"How about the Leaky Cauldron?" Lily suggested.

"I sure could do with a good butterbeer right now!" Sasha sighed, rubbing her stomach.

"Me, too!" Alice, Delilah, Lily and Mary breathed wistfully, memories of the delicious drink flooding their brains.

"Then let's go!" Sasha said excitedly, and the five friends rushed to the Leaky Cauldron.

"How ya doin', Tom?" Sasha asked the bartender, sitting down with her friends at the bar.

"Good, thanks. And you, Sasha?" Tom replied, smiling toothily.

"Great. My friends and I would like five butterbeers, large, if you don't mind."

"Even you? You usually go for something a bit stronger, if I'm remembering correctly."

"I'm in the mood for a butterbeer today," Sasha shrugged. "There's a first time for everything."

"That there is," Tom laughed. "I'll be back in a few minutes with your drinks," he continued, scurrying off to prepare their butterbeers.

The minute the bartender was gone, Sasha's friends burst out laughing. "What?" Sasha asked, confused.

"Tom knows you by name, _and_ he knows what you usually order," Delilah chuckled. "How many times do you go here anyway?"

"Often enough," Sasha replied, obviously embarrassed by how many times she visited the Leaky Cauldron. "Not too often, really; I just have a distinctive appearance, and Tom has a good memory!"

"Whatever you say, Sasha," Mary chortled. "As long as you're not an alcoholic, we won't bother you about it." The girls burst into laughter again right as Tom brought their drinks. He looked at them strangely before going to other customers, which made them laugh even harder.

"It seems like every time I find you girls, you're always laughing about something," Remus Lupin stated, walking into the bar and sitting next to Sasha.

"Remmy! Glad you could join us!" Sasha greeted jovially. "OI! Tom! Another butterbeer, large, for my friend here!"

"Comin' right up!" Tom yelled back. He walked over and handed Remus a butterbeer before going back to another customer again.

"So, Remus, what are you doing here?" Mary asked quietly.

"My folks wanted to go shopping, and I told them I'd meet them here," Remus said.

"Wait- so Black, Potter and Pettigrew aren't here?" Delilah questioned incredulously.

"Not that I know of," Remus answered.

"YES!" Lily shouted triumphantly, jumping up from her seat. She sat back down, blushing, when everyone in the Leaky Cauldron looked at her like she had grown a second head. "So, Remus, what are your parents looking for?" She asked the Marauder, desperately trying to change the topic.

"Beats me," Remus shrugged, and took a sip of his drink. "But really, who wants to go shopping with their _parents_?"

"Not me," Mary, Delilah, Alice and Lily agreed in unison.

"My dad's cool," Sasha stated, taking a sip of her butterbeer. "I don't mind shopping with him at all."

"Daddy's girl," Remus, Mary, Alice, Lily and Delilah rolled their eyes simultaneously.

"Yes, I am," Sasha laughed.

"You are what?" The unmistakable voice of Sirius Black sneered, taking a seat next to Remus. "Dumb? We all knew you'd admit it someday."

Sasha glared at him. "No, I'm a 'Daddy's girl'. And _thank you _for ruining my day," she finished sarcastically.

"Oh, you're welcome," Sirius grinned back.

"Hello, all!" James Potter greeted jovially, taking a seat next to Sirius. Peter Pettigrew followed silently, and took a seat next to James.

"Remus," Lily groaned, "I thought you said they weren't here?"

"I said I didn't know if they were here," Remus corrected her. "Apparently, they are."

James was looking at Lily longingly, and was about to say something when he caught Sasha's eye. She mouthed, "Remember the list!" James nodded in understanding and ordered three butterbeers from Tom instead.

"So, Delilah," Mary turned to the tomboy, "how are things with you and Dexter going?"

"Great!" Delilah replied cheerfully. "Oh, I forgot to tell you girls; he asked me to be his girlfriend!"

All the girls but Mary, who had already known the news, squealed in glee. "Delilah, that's great!" Sasha exclaimed.

"Congratulations," Lily said sincerely, smiling.

"I'm not the only one of us with a boyfriend!" Alice spoke happily. "Oh, Delilah, we should double-date sometime!"

"Sure, that sounds like fun," Delilah responded. "Speaking of which, how are things going with you and Frank?"

"Oh, he's so sweet!" Alice gushed dreamily. "Our families celebrated Christmas and New Year together, so I've seen him a lot. My parents really like him, too, especially my mum; she's been trying to set us up for years now!"

"Not that this isn't riveting," Remus spoke up sarcastically, "but, Alice, your toad just hopped onto my head." Toby was, indeed, sitting quite contentedly on Remus' head, and the Gryffindors burst out laughing at the sight.

"Sorry, Remus!" Alice chuckled, carefully putting the toad back on her shoulder. "I was so caught up with talking, I didn't notice!"

"It's alright," Remus assured her.

"Berg, is your demon dog here?" Sirius asked all of the sudden.

Zevi growled menacingly as Sasha replied, "No, but my wolf, Zevi, is. And what do you know; I think he's just _itching _to bite you!"

"How much trouble did you get in on Christmas, Berg?" Sirius changed the topic. "You know, for setting off those dungbombs in Remus' party."

"None," Sasha retorted, "my dad thought it was funny. And you set off those dungbombs, too, Black, so don't go pointing fingers at me."

"But you were the one that came up with the whole plan," Sirius pointed out. "Therefore, it's ultimately your fault."

"So, you admit that I out-pranked you?" Sasha asked.

"What! I never- wait- damn you, Berg!" Sirius shouted, aggravated, and Sasha smirked.

"You out-pranked the Marauders?!" Delilah exclaimed. Sasha nodded. "And you didn't tell us?!"

Sasha shrugged. "I guess it just… slipped my mind."

"Wow, you go, girl!" Lily congratulated, raising her hand for a high five. Sasha grinned and slapped the redhead's hand.

"I'm impressed," Mary admitted, grinning. "Impressed; but not surprised."

"Why, thank you, Pom-Pom!" Sasha beamed.

"Oh, Merlin's beard!" Alice yelled all of the sudden. "I'm supposed to meet Frank outside of Flourish and Blotts in ten minutes! Bye, girls!"

"Bye, Alice!" They called to their friend as she hurriedly rushed out the door.

"So, how have your breaks been so far, girls?" James inquired politely, his eyes lingering on Lily.

"Good, thanks," Sasha responded.

"Mine's been pretty cool," Delilah said, eyeing James suspiciously as a result of his cordial manner.

"Boring; but, then again, it usually is," Mary sighed.

Lily stayed silent, so James prodded, "What about your break, Lily?"

"Fine," Lily answered shortly.

"Anything interesting happen?" James questioned hopefully, trying to get the object of his affections to talk to him.

Lily shook her head "No," but Sasha stated, "Her older sister, Petunia, is getting married. I'd bet Lily's break is filled with wedding plans, seeing as she's the Maid of Honor and all."

"That's great, Lily!" James smiled genuinely, clearly taking Lily (and, though they showed it more subtly, Mary and Delilah) by surprise. "Congratulations!"

"Thanks," Lily said slowly, sounding slightly unsure. James beamed, all the same.

The group settled into an awkward silence until Delilah proclaimed, "Can you believe that we have to go back to Hogwarts on Monday? This break's just flown by!"

"I know!" Lily agreed. "It's actually sort of depressing; in two more days, we have to go back to doing homework and sitting in class all day!"

"And you're _upset _about that Evans? You, of all people?" Sirius chuckled. "I thought you _worshipped_ school!"

"That just shows how little you know about me, Black," Lily retorted, glaring.

"Remus, are you okay?" Mary asked suddenly, looking at Remus in concern. "You're looking a bit peaky."

"I'm fine, thanks, Mary," Remus assured her. "I tend to get colds a lot in the winter. It's nothing, really." He subtly flashed Sasha and his fellow Marauders significant glances.

"Okay," Mary said, still sounding dubious. "Just… be careful, alright? You don't want to get sick your first week back at school."

"Don't worry; I'm pretty used to it by now," Remus sighed. Mary gave him a sympathetic grimace, noticing Remus' dejected attitude.

"Sasha, Black, Potter; are you excited for Quidditch?" Delilah changed the topic abruptly.

"Of course!" James exclaimed. "Though, I could do without seeing Vane again. That git's insufferable."

"You should be thankful you're not me or Delilah, Potter; Vane's wanted to get us in broom closets since Third Year." Sasha shuddered in obvious disgust and loathing.

"I've always wondered why you hate him so much," Sirius interjected. "Honestly, for once, I agree with you, Berg. Vane's disgusting"

"Even by your standards?" Sasha questioned, raising an eyebrow.

"Even by my standards," Sirius replied, suppressing a chuckle; he didn't want it to seem like he was getting along with her, after all. "Though I don't understand why he's going after _you_; he must just be blind and deaf, because it's not like your looks are at all attractive, and your personality is horrible!"

"Losing your memory, are you, Black?" Sasha retaliated. "Because if I remember correctly- and I know I do- you asked every boy you know if they think I'm attractive, and they all said yes."

Sirius refrained from responding, as he was unable to think of a comeback, especially because, as of late, he had been forced to realize that he agreed with those boys. Instead, he crossed his arms over his chest and seethed silently. Sasha's resulting smirk would've put Lucius Malfoy to shame.

"Girls, do you want to shop some more?" Mary inquired quietly.

"I think that's a great idea," Delilah responded, picking up her belongings.

Lily and Sasha turned to each other and shrugged. "Eh, why not?" Lily smiled. "I could always do with more shopping."

Sasha put some coins on the counter for Tom and warned the boys, "Don't you dare steal any of Tom's pay, because if you do, I'll know. And I _will _come after you."

"Sure you will, Berg," Sirius rolled his eyes sarcastically. Zevi growled at him, and Sirius reflexively clutched his previously bitten finger. The girls cracked up as they left the pub.

"Hey, Moony?" Peter asked suddenly. "Does Berg know about your… furry little problem?"

"Yeah," Remus admitted.

"How'd she figure it out?" Peter inquired curiously. Him, James and Sirius all leaned forward so their werewolf friend wouldn't have to speak too loudly.

"Well," Remus began, fingering the collar of his shirt anxiously, "she didn't have to."

"You mean you _told _her?!" Sirius' head shot up suddenly. "You didn't even tell us!"

"Calm down, Padfoot," James soothed his friend. "I'm sure Moony has a reasonable explanation." The three boys looked at Remus expectantly.

"I didn't tell her," Remus said. "Her dad… he's a Healer, at St. Mungo's. When I got bitten, he was the Healer who took care of me. That day, Sasha went to work with him… and… well… she met me, sitting on my hospital bed, six years old, with a werewolf bite on my arm. And she just looked at me and said, 'You look like you could use a friend,' and sat down next to my bed and talked to me until my parents could take me home. We stayed in touch, and we've been friends ever since; as you can tell."

Peter, James and Sirius were silent for a few moments. Finally, Sirius spoke. "_Berg _did that?!"

"I know you hate her, Padfoot," Remus declared, "but Sasha's a good person, whether or not you agree with me. In fact, she's one of the best people I know."

The Marauders settled into silence, each thinking their own thoughts. Tom came by and asked, "Are you all done here? I have some customers that need seats."

"Oh, sorry. Yeah, we're done," James told him, taking a last, long sip of his butterbeer. Turning to his fellow Marauders, James continued, "Come on, guys, let's go."

"I need some air," Sirius proclaimed, rushing out of the Leaky Cauldron and into the thick of Diagon Alley, his face a mixture of shock and disbelief, but most of all, confusion. This was, of course, perfectly natural; after all, he had just discovered that his arch nemesis, the girl he hated above all others, was a genuinely kind and understanding person. His reaction was expected. Nevertheless, it still made James, Peter and Remus chuckle as they followed him.

* * *

_**So, we've learned more about Sasha and Remus' friendship! What do you think? Like this chapter? Or not? Please review! **_

**_Thanks!_**

**_-Joelle8_**


	21. In Which Sasha is Broken

In Which Sasha Is Broken

The Marauders had been sitting in their compartment on the Hogwarts Express for about an hour when it happened.

Not even bothering to knock, Lily Evans opened the door, and it was obvious that something was wrong. Her brow was creased in worry, and her face was even paler than usual. Her eyes conveyed her worry, looking pained and close to tears. James sat up automatically and questioned concernedly, "Lily, what's wrong?"

For once, Lily ignored him, and instead turned to Remus. "Remus," she said, and her voice was strained from worry, "it's Sasha." Remus immediately paled, and stood up and silently followed Lily. Uninvited, but curious and slightly concerned nonetheless, Peter, Sirius and James followed.

Coming to a stop at a compartment with its door cracked open slightly, the Marauders heard Delilah begging, "Sasha, please… just tell us what's wrong!"

"Sasha, we're your friends," Alice was saying. "Why won't you tell us what happened?"

Remus adopted an expression almost identical to Lily's and followed the redhead into the compartment. He gasped at what he saw.

In just the two days since her friends had seen her, Sasha Berg had turned from a lively, playful, happy girl into… a shell, almost. Her face was gaunt, and pale enough to be mistaken for white. Her hair, though still the same upon a single glance, was straggly, and had lost its shine; not to mention it was messy and unkempt, and obviously had not had any effort whatsoever put into it. But the most startling thing about the new Sasha was her eyes: her chocolate eyes, once warm and full of life and happiness, were… empty. They conveyed no emotion, no light; nothing, whatsoever.

She was broken.

"Sasha, what's wrong?" Remus asked, rushing to sit beside his almost-sister. Sasha was silent.

"She won't talk," Mary said, just barely choking back a sob. "We've been trying to get her to say something- anything- for the past fifteen minutes. She won't say anything, let alone what's got her like this."

"Sasha, please," Lily pleaded, "let us help you. Tell us what happened."

Suddenly, Alice seemed to be struck with an idea. "Black," she breathed. "If anyone can make her say something, it's Black!"

"You're right," Delilah realized. Without further ado, she walked into the hall, grabbed Sirius' sleeve, and dragged him into the compartment, ignoring his complaints.

"What the sodding hell, McPhee?!" Sirius exclaimed angrily, preparing to rant more until he set eyes on Sasha. "Whoa… what happened to Berg?"

"We don't know," Lily said. "She won't say anything."

"So, why'd McPhee drag me in here?" Sirius asked, fighting to hide his concern for his attractive enemy. "Berg _hates _me, in case you haven't already noticed."

"That's the point," Remus spoke. "She can't resist arguing with you. We're hoping that you can get her to say _something_, if not what's wrong."

"First, you have to let James and Peter in," Sirius bargained. "They're standing in the hall."

Alice rolled her eyes. "Oh, bloody hell," she muttered, and quickly pulled the two remaining Marauders into the compartment, shutting the door behind them and pulling down the blinds.

"What's wrong with Berg?" James questioned abruptly as soon as he entered the compartment.

"She doesn't look so good," Peter squeaked, frowning.

The girls ignored them completely. "Well, Black," Mary said, "your friends are in here. Now talk to Sasha."

"Alright," Sirius agreed, and then crouched down to Sasha's level, so that he was looking directly into her eyes. He tried not to flinch at the lack of life in them. "So, Berg," he started, "where's your demon dog?" Zevi barked indignantly from his seat on Sasha's shoulder; Sasha, however, said nothing. Sirius tried again. "I got a piece of mail that was addressed to you. It was from the Devil; he's got your place in Hell all set up."

Nothing.

"Had any secret rendezvous with Filch recently?" Sirius attempted.

Still nothing.

"You know, at Flourish and Blotts, I saw this book I think you should read, Berg. It's called The Life and Trials of an Utter Idiot. It has a lot of tips on how to deal with your condition: being stupid."

Sasha didn't even blink.

Sirius bit his lip, racking his brain. _What riles up Berg most? _He asked himself. _Let's see… calling her stupid didn't work… seeing as the Filch thing didn't work, calling her a slut probably wouldn't, either… no response from the 'demon dog' thing… she didn't seem to mind being told she'd go to Hell… what else is there? Wait- what does she love more than anything? Her dad! Geez, I'm so stupid! _He scolded himself internally, and quickly came up with an insult.

"Do you know if there's a unit in St. Mungo's for fat people, Berg?" Sirius asked. "Because if there is, your old man needs to go there."

If Sirius had known that less than a split second after saying the insult, Sasha would have him up against the wall, hand squeezing his throat, he probably would not have mentioned her father. Yet, he hadn't known that, and as a result, that was what was happening to him.

Sirius gasped for breath, trying to wrench Sasha's grip off of his neck, but the girl's hands were like iron: cold, hard, and totally unbendable. Her brown eyes pierced him, burning through his head, and suddenly, he heard her voice in his head: _Die. Die. Die. Die. Die._

"Sasha!" Remus exclaimed in shock, pulling his almost-sister back. Sirius stared wide-eyed at shock, wondering how in the world her voice had just gone into his head, and, more importantly, why it was telling him to die. "Did you just try to _strangle _Sirius?!"

Sasha was breathing heavily, and though her eyes were still empty, she was glaring at Sirius fiercely as he tenderly rubbed his throat. "He would've deserved it," she croaked, her voice sounding very much like that of a frog's. "That Goddamn bastard would've deserved to die for speaking that load of shit." After stating this, she took a deep breath, and resumed her original position.

For the rest of the train ride, the girls and the Marauders (though Sirius kept his distance, still) continued trying to get Sasha to speak again, to tell them what was wrong. But she just continued acting as if they weren't even there, and stared blankly into space.

The only time she did speak was when she caught sight of the carriages and gasped, in barely more than a whisper, "I see them." Her companions couldn't get her to tell them what she had meant.

Feasting in the Great Hall, everyone had noticed that something was wrong; even the teachers were looking at the Sixth Year Gryffindors with concern. Frank had joined their group, and his efforts to get Sasha to speak had also been in vain.

Even more worrying was the fact that Sasha would not eat anything. She just sat and stared, much like what she had been doing on the train. Her friends waved various plates of food under her nose, trying to tempt her with the delicious scents, but were unsuccessful; Sasha had no reaction at all.

Later that evening, as the girls lay in their warm beds, none of them could fall asleep. Mary, Delilah, Alice and Lily were worrying over Sasha; what Sasha was thinking about, no one could guess.

They only knew that Sasha cried herself to sleep that night.

"O-ho! Miss Berg!" Professor Slughorn said in his normal jolly way, wobbling up to one of his most prized students as soon as she had set down her books at her seat in Potions class. "My dear, what on earth happened?" he asked, alarmed, once he took note of her plainly lifeless face and mannerisms.

"She won't answer you," Sirius spoke sharply, dropping his books onto his table in frustration. "She won't answer anybody."

For once, the portly Potions master appeared genuinely concerned. "I wonder what in the world could have happened?" he pondered aloud. "Even you must agree with me, Mr. Black, that Sasha has always been one of my more cheerful students!"

"I know," Sirius mumbled, almost shyly. "It's… weird, seeing her like this."

_I'm right here, you know. I can hear what you're saying._

Sirius jumped into the air as he heard Sasha's voice intrude into his mind again. It sounded like the old Sasha's voice: loud and clear, full of vim, vigor and slight irritation. Nothing like the hoarse tones Sirius had been unfortunate enough to hear on the train.

"Mr. Black? Are you quite alright?" Slughorn inquired.

"What? Oh- yeah, I'm fine, Professor," Sirius assured the older man. "Thanks, though."

"You're welcome," the Potions master replied. "I have to wonder- would giving her Veritaserum do any good?"

Sirius shook his head. "She wouldn't drink it. She's too smart to think it's water."

Professor Slughorn chuckled bemusedly. "I must say, Mr. Black, I never thought I'd see the day when you paid Miss Berg a complement! Oh, this is certainly a day for the record books!"

Sirius nodded as Professor walked away to begin the lesson, feeling a pair of unmistakable brown eyes boring into the back of his head.

"Ah- come in, Sasha," Professor Dumbledore said, seeing the Gryffindor girl at his door, right on time, as usual. "Take a seat."

Sasha nodded mutely, plopping down in the all too familiar chair opposite Dumbledore at his desk.

For a few moments, both people were silent. Finally, the Headmaster began, "Sasha, I want you to know, I am so very sorry for-"

"Don't," Sasha cut in, not used to using her voice anymore. "I- I don't want to talk about it."

"Sasha," the Professor started gently, his blue eyes sympathetic and he kindly patted Sasha's hand, "these are the things we need to talk about most."

"Some people do," Sasha breathed. "Not me."

Dumbledore was quiet for a pause before he spoke, "The strongest people, Sasha, are those who are not afraid to show emotion."

Sasha's eyes almost blazed- almost. "I _am _showing emotion. Everyone can tell what I'm feeling. I'm displaying my emotions more clearly than most people do."

The aged wizard shook his head slowly. "I am sorry that you have the frame of mind, Sasha," he sighed. "Truly sorry. It is your loss."

"I need time to deal with this, Sir," Sasha declared quietly. "I'll deal with it my way, if you don't mind."

"Very well," Dumbledore nodded slowly. "Shall we begin, then?"

"Yes. I practiced over the break- before… y'know…"

"I understand. Which one would you like to practice first?"

"Fire."

Dumbledore half-smiled bemusedly. "Sasha, in the state you are in, I am not sure that would be the best idea, for the sake of my possessions, if nothing else. However, if you are sure-"

"I'm sure," Sasha interjected, her features hardening.

"…As you wish. I would like, however, for us to leave my office for this lesson," Dumbledore remarked. "Shall we go outside?"

"Are you sure people won't see me?" Sasha asked worriedly, her voice still hoarse.

"They won't if I do not want them to," Dumbledore grinned. "Come, Sasha."

The old wizard and the young witch walked in total silence down to the Quidditch Pitch. The refreshing night air, the velvet black sky blanketed with stars, the complete stillness of the Black Lake; none of the beauty of nature changed Sasha's stone cold demeanor any.

"I will place a charm on you so that I can see you, but if anyone else were to look, they would only see me watching fire," Dumbledore explained. "Do you understand?" Sasha nodded. The Headmaster flicked his wand at Sasha, and she disappeared from view- except to him. He smiled. "Perfect. Now, you may start whenever you would like."

Sasha sucked in a breath, summoning all of her strength, and thrust her hands forward. Professor Dumbledore was forced to quickly jump aside as fire as strong in quantity and flame as that of a dragon's burst forward, lighting up the sky. The ball of fire hung in the air, suspended by nothing, billowing with Sasha's rage and fury. She whirled her hands through the air, and the fire slithered like a snake, high into the sky, farther than man could ever hope to travel without dying. Sasha spread apart her hands sharply and the ball of fire, so big and bright that it was still visible, dispersed into a dozen tiny sparks that rained down on Hogwarts.

Her hands cracking with fury and electricity, Sasha lifted up her fingers and lightning shot out of her then, alighting the sky once more. She created more and more bursts of electricity, lighting more than a few trees on fire (which Dumbledore patiently put out, one by one). She squeezed a fist together, and thunder boomed, covering up her a long suppressed cry as she fell to her knees, sobbing without tears.

Professor Dumbledore escorted her back up to her dormitory, and if any of Hogwarts' students were to look outside, they would have seen that a sudden thunderstorm had just ended.

"Did you see that lightning storm last night, Sasha?" Alice asked her friend conversationally at breakfast the next morning. "Wasn't it amazing?"

No response.

"Don't even bother, Alice," Delilah snapped. "She's not going to answer. We shouldn't even waste our time with her."

"Delilah!" Mary gasped. "That's an awful thing to say."

"She has a point, though," Lily put in reluctantly. "I mean, it's not like we've been getting anywhere with Sasha… we still don't even know what's wrong with her!"

Sasha seemed completely unaffected by this conversation. It was as if she wasn't even there; her body may have been there, but her head was in an entirely different place. Zombie-like, she stood up and began to walk out of the Great Hall, when a cry halted her in her steps.

"Oi! Berg!" Regulus Black shouted from the Slytherin table. Sasha turned around, still staring blankly at the Fourth Year. "Rather torn up, aren't you?"

No response.

"I mean, if it was me in that situation, I know I would be."

No response.

"Then again, I never would be- my father is a _respectable _pureblood."

No response.

"Really, I've never been prouder of Wilkes than when he-"

Before anyone in the Great Hall could blink, Sasha had her wand at Regulus' throat. "Who?" she questioned, her voice scarcely more than a whisper.

"Wh-What do you mean, 'Who'?"

"Who did you say?" Sasha repeated. She dug her wand deeper into Regulus' throat. "_Who did it_?!"

"W-Wilkes," Regulus stammered. "Jeremy Wilkes. H-He graduated five y-years ago- you were a F-First Year."

Sasha slowly removed her wand, breathing heavily, shaking with fury. Regulus and his friends slowly backed away from the enraged girl just as Dumbledore swooped out of his seat and into the aisle. With every eye in the Great Hall on them, he squeezed Sasha's shoulder and escorted her out of the Great Hall.

The students could hear a cry scarily like a howl as they left.

When the Marauders entered the Gryffindor common room one day to find Mary crying on the couch, they knew that this had gone too far. Because sensitive as she was, Mary _never _cried.

Ever.

"Sasha?" was all Remus said as he slowly sat down besides the sobbing Mary, who nodded.

"I-I just don't know wh-what to do!" Mary blubbered. "I feel s-so helpless, and I- I _hate _it!"

"I know how you feel," Remus replied sympathetically, placing an arm around Mary's shoulders and squeezing them. "Sasha's like a sister to me."

"She's like a sister to me, too," Mary blinked away tears.

"And Sasha feels exactly the same way about you," Remus assured her. "She wouldn't want you to cry, now, would she? What would Sasha do if she saw you like this?"

"Go get me a mug of hot cocoa, because she thinks that cures everything, and then come back up and listen to me cry until I stopped."

"…Er, I was thinking along the lines of her saying something like, 'Pull yourself together, Mary! You know I hate seeing you cry!'" Remus laughed hollowly.

Mary's laugh was the same. "That's probable, too." Both were silent for a moment, until Mary added thoughtfully, in her shy manner, "We're talking about her like she's… d-dead or something."

"In a way, she is," Remus murmured dejectedly.

Before he could even think about it, Sirius blurted out, "No! She's _not _dead! The old Sasha's still in there somewhere, I know it!"

His friends and Mary stared at him. "Padfoot…" Peter began tentatively, looking like he was in a state of shock.

"What?!" Sirius snapped at him.

"Mate," James took over, "you called her Sasha."

Sirius' eyes widened as he realized that, indeed, he did. "Bloody hell, what's _wrong _with me?" Sirius wondered out loud. "I- I'm going mental!"

"No, I don't believe so," Mary mused aloud. "I think that you care about her, Black."

If Sirius had been eating something, he would have choked on it. "What the fuck makes you think _that_, Macdonald?!"

Mary sighed. "I'm not going to explain it to you… you have to figure it out yourself. But you _know _that I'm right." She suddenly grinned crookedly. "I'm _always _right."

With that, she darted back up to the girls' dormitory, shyly wiping tears from her eyes, back to the Mary everyone knew.

"Merlin," James muttered, turning to his friends, "I guess she's more like Sasha than we thought, eh?"

"It appears so," Remus said thoughtfully, staring after Mary with a curious expression on his face.

"I do _not _'care for' Berg in any way or form!" Sirius exclaimed grumpily. "You all know that, right? _Right_?"

"Sure we do," his friends chorused, exchanging significant looks with each other that said otherwise as soon as Sirius' back was turned.

"I mean, sure, I want her to go back to her regular, bitchy self," Sirius spoke, more to himself than to anyone else as he began pacing. "But that's- that's only so Remus will be happier again- yeah, that's it. I want Berg to feel better so Remus will, too. Besides, it's more fun to tease her that way- there's no point teasing her when she's like this. I'm not _that _cruel."

"Are you _sure _you don't care for her? Not even a bit?" Peter spoke up for once, biting his lip fearfully.

"_Yes_, I'm bloody well sure!" Sirius whirled on Peter angrily before turning back around and running up to his dormitory.

"If you ask me, he's most definitely not," James whispered to Remus and Peter, who nodded in agreement.

* * *

**_Sorry it's been so long since I've updated! You can thank my friend Leah for nagging it out of me! So, what do you think? Please review! I got 13 last chapter- thank you soooooooooooo much!_**

**_-Joelle8_**


	22. In Which Dumbledore is Helpful

In Which Dumbledore is Helpful

A little less than a month had gone by, and Sasha's behavior hadn't changed. She wouldn't eat, speak, or really show any emotion at all; and according to the girls, every night, she cried herself to sleep. It was as if she was a corpse, except she walked and breathed and was therefore very clearly alive. Her friends were despairing; and, in fact, so were people who weren't her friends. Even Sirius Black missed Sasha Berg, to everyone's shock- so much, in fact, that he might have been trying the hardest out of all the Sixth Year Gryffindors to figure out what was wrong with her.

"What else can we do?" Sirius asked the Marauders, as well as Frank, Alice, Mary, Delilah and Lily, pacing in front of the fireplace in the common room.

"There's nothing else we _can _do," Mary said sullenly. "We've tried everything."

"We can't have tried everything," Sirius murmured, thinking hard. "What about Veritaserum?"

"Sasha would be able to identify it," Lily sighed dejectedly. "She's as good at Potions as me."

"Well, then what about-"

"Face it, Sirius, we've done everything we can!" Remus exclaimed, distressed. "At this point, we just have to wait for Sasha to tell us herself."

"I'm not patient enough to wait," Sirius muttered stonily. "I'm going to find out what's wrong. Just watch me." With that, he stomped out of the common room, his brain still whirring.

About ten minutes later, he found himself sitting in Professor Dumbledore's office. After much thought, Sirius had realized that if anyone knew what was wrong with Sasha, it would be the wise Headmaster.

"Please, Sir," Sirius begged, "if you know what happened to Berg, please tell me."

"Take no offense by this, Mister Black, but why exactly do you care?"

"I miss her," Sirius admitted, consumed with self-hate as Dumbledore beamed, blue eyes twinkling. "I still hate her, but… I miss her."

"Do Sasha's friends miss her as much as you do?" Dumbledore questioned.

"We're all going crazy trying to figure out a way to help her," Sirius replied. "But we don't know how to do that without knowing what the problem is."

"You have a point, Sirius," the Headmaster conceded. "But I will not tell you what happened to Sasha." Sirius was about to plead more when the Professor continued, "I will show you."

The Headmaster stood up and Sirius followed him. They walked over to a stone basin with intricate carvings around it, filled with a silvery substance that looked like it couldn't decide whether to be a liquid or a gas. Professor Dumbledore picked up a vile filled with the same silvery substance from a rack beside the basin, and held it out for Sirius to see. "This, Sirius, is Sasha Berg's memory of what happened that affected her so deeply."

"How did you get her _memory_?" Sirius asked incredulously.

"It's really not too hard," Dumbledore chuckled. "She was only too willing to get it out of her head, so she came to me. In any case, this basin here is a Pensieve. It tells and shows memories. If I put Sasha's memory in it, then we will be able to go into the memory itself, and see what happened. Would you like that, Mister Black?"

"Yes," Sirius nodded fervently.

"Are you completely sure?"

"Yes."

"Very well then," Dumbledore spoke, and poured the memory into the Pensieve. Immediately, images began forming. Sirius leaned in to get a closer look at them, and the next thing he knew, he was falling on his back (which was quite painful, incidentally) into what he assumed was the memory itself. Dumbledore followed, landing much more gracefully on his feet.

Sirius stood up, rubbing his back, and surveyed the memory. He was in what was obviously a dining room; actually, it was more like a hall than a room, considering that it was twice the size of the Potters'. It had to belong to an extremely wealthy family.

At the closest end of the table, Sirius recognized Sasha and her father sitting and speaking in hushed tones, even though nobody was around. Sirius walked closer to them so he could hear their conversation.

"Just… stay safe, okay, Daddy?" Sasha was pleading earnestly. "Be careful."

"I always am, Sashi," Mr. Berg assured his daughter.

"I know," Sasha smiled faintly. "But I'm your daughter; it's my job to worry about you."

"Maybe not for the rest of the daughters in the world, but if you want to protect me, Sashi, then I know I won't be able to persuade you to do otherwise," Sasha's father chuckled.

"You know me so well," Sasha laughed, hugging her father.

The scene changed; it seemed later in the evening, and it looked to be the entryway to the massive household, rather than the dining room. Sirius saw Sasha and her father standing together, and Sasha was clearly crying- a disturbing, heartbreaking (though he'd never admit it) sight. He stepped over next to the pair so he could hear what they were saying.

"Please, Sashi; go and hide. For me," Mr. Berg was pleading. "I wouldn't be able to bear it if anything ever happened to you."

"Daddy, you know I'm a good witch. Let me help you, let me fight them-"

"Sashi, please… let me handle it."

Sasha took a deep breath before agreeing reluctantly, "Alright. I love you, Daddy." She flung her arms around her father, hugging him tightly.

"I love you too, Sashi," Mr. Berg mumbled into his daughter's hair, squeezing her just as tightly as she was squeezing him. "You're my world. I want you to know that."

"You're mine too, Daddy. You're my best friend," Sasha told him, tears streaming down her face. She looked up and gently kissed his cheek as her father kissed her forehead. Sasha stepped back from the hug, said "I love you" one more time to her father, and then ran in another direction to hide.

Just then, the front door was blasted open, and two Death Eaters walked in. "Harry Berg," one voice drawled. "Have you accepted our invitation yet?"

Sirius gasped. _The Death Eaters want Sasha's dad to become one of them, _he realized as he watched Sasha's memory unfold.

"No, I haven't; and I never will," Mr. Berg proclaimed, his wand outstretched in front of him. "Now get out of my house." Sirius silently applauded the man's bravery.

"Not so fast," the second Death Eater growled. "We may leave without killing you if you give us what we want. I think you know what that is."

"What the bloody hell makes you think that I'm going to give that to you?" Mr. Berg shouted, clearly angered.

"Come now, Berg; you're a Slytherin. You value your life. It's in your blood," the first Death Eater said.

"For some Slytherins, maybe. But I pride myself on not being like those bastards." Once again, Sirius silently cheered for the man.

"Are you sure?" the second Death Eater leered. "The Dark Lord can give you so much more than what you have right now…"

"I have everything I want and need!" Mr. Berg exclaimed. "I'd sooner die than become a Death Eater, and I'd sooner suffer a Dementor's Kiss than give you anything you ever ask for!"

"If you're sure," the first Death Eater sighed, and Sirius closed his eyes, knowing what was going to happen before it did and not wanting to see it. The Death Eater murmured the worst Unforgivable curse of them all, and a flash of green light ended the life of Harry Berg.

When Sirius opened his eyes again, he was back in the Headmaster's office, sitting in a seat across from Professor Dumbledore, whose face was grim and whose eyes were not, for once, twinkling humorously.

"I have heard, Sirius, that you've seen Sasha's bogart?" Professor Dumbledore broke the silence, staring at Sirius slightly unnervingly.

"Yes, Sir."

"Sasha Berg was unfortunate enough to have her worst fear happen," Dumbledore proclaimed solemnly. "In frank terms, Mister Black, it broke her. It will be a long time until she is the Sasha we all know and love once again." The Professor's eyes twinkled faintly at the word "love," but Sirius didn't notice.

"What can I do, Professor?"

"I think you know that already, Sirius," the Headmaster responded, and this time, the Sixth Year Gryffindor noticed the twinkle in his eyes.

Sirius thought for a moment, and realized what he had to do; whatever consequences it might have. He said, "Thank you, Sir," and rushed out of the office. Professor Dumbledore watched him go with a smile.

Sirius found Sasha sitting on the edge of the Black Lake, seemingly oblivious to the light blanket of snow around her, arms clutched around her knees. Taking a deep breath, Sirius sat down next to his fellow Gryffindor and just sat down in silence for a few minutes. After a few minutes, he said, "Dumbledore showed me the memory." The only sign Sasha made of hearing him was lifting her head a fraction of an inch. Sirius continued, "Listen, Berg… I'm not going to pretend like I understand what you must be going through, but… I'm sorry."

"Don't pretend to know how I feel," Sasha snapped finally, though her voice was hoarse and it sounded more like a croak. "Nobody knows how I feel. Nobody."

"I never said that I was trying to pretend to know how you feel! In fact, I specifically said I wasn't!" Sirius exclaimed. "I came over here to tell you I'm sorry for you, and you automatically snap at me! Merlin, what's your problem, Berg?"

"What's my problem?" Sasha growled quietly after a pause. "_What's my problem_?" She repeated, louder and clearly angry. "My problem is that my father- my idol, my role model, my favorite person in the entire world, my _best friend_- is dead! _Dead_! Never to come back! My _father_!"

"Yeah, I get that, Berg," Sirius spoke, annoyed. "What I don't get is why, for the past month, you haven't eaten or spoken! Your friends have been worried sick!" _So have I_, he added in his head.

"It's my way of mourning, I guess," Sasha grumbled. "I haven't eaten because it hurts too much, knowing that Daddy will never eat again, and I'll never eat with him. Stupid, yeah, but don't you dare argue with me, or I'll give you another black eye. As for the talking, I- I've been afraid that if I talk about it, I'll start crying." She wiped a tear from her eye, obvious just barely restraining herself from bursting into tears.

"There's nothing wrong with crying," Sirius said, gentler. "A lot of people think that it makes them weaker. But it just shows they care."

Sasha was silent. Then, after a moment, she let the tears fall. And fall, and fall, and fall, until they resembled a waterfall cascading down her cheeks. Following his instincts, Sirius wrapped his arms around her, just holding her, letting her cry. He squeezed her a little closer, feeling a pleasant, unfamiliar tingle shoot up every part of his body that was touching her. They stayed in this position for about fifteen minutes, until Sasha had cried her eyes dry. She sat up, and Sirius (somewhat reluctantly, he realized, immensely surprising himself) released his grip on her.

"We should go back in," Sirius stated, "before we freeze to death out here."

"Yeah," Sasha nodded, and stood up. Sirius did the same, and the two walked back to the Gryffindor common room, in a comfortable- companionable, even- silence.

When Sasha entered the common room, it was evident that something about her had changed. The girls, Frank and the Marauders looked at her anxiously, hopefully, barely taking notice of Sirius. Sasha took a deep breath, walked over to her friends, and began, "Hi… hi, you guys."

"Hi, Sasha," her fellow Sixth Year Gryffindors greeted, smiling, waiting for her to continue.

"Listen… I'm sorry I've been acting so out-of-sorts lately. But… you see… my… my daddy died, just after that trip to Diagon Alley over break," Sasha burst out hurriedly. Instantly, the girls gasped and flung themselves at her, enveloping her in a suffocating group hug. For once, she didn't push them away.

"I'm so sorry, Sasha," Remus breathed, joining the group hug, a tear running down his cheek. He had, after all, been friends with Harry Berg as well. "Do you want to talk about it?"

"No, thanks," Sasha shook her head. "Actually, I'd sort of like some cake. And corned beef. And fried chicken. And mashed potatoes. And ice cream. And an apple. And…" As Sasha continued listing foods she wanted, her friends smiled at each other, all thinking the same thing:

_Sasha's back._

"Sirius, mate, I haven't seen you this up in spirits since we snagged some firewhiskey from Filch's office in Fourth Year!" James laughed amusedly at his best pal, who was all but skipping through the hallways.

"Yeah- I mean, you're always happy and… stuff," Peter started, "but never _this _happy!"

Sasha walked by, surrounded by Lily, Alice, Mary, and Delilah, and Sirius' face lit up visibly. As James' and Peter's jaws dropped, Remus whispered to them, "I think I know why he's so happy."

Sirius bounded over to the group of Gryffindor girls. "Why, hello, ladies!" he exclaimed loudly, causing them to turn around and glare at him. He just kept on beaming. "Lovely day outside today, don't you think?"

"Black, are you high?" Lily asked suspiciously, both eyebrows arched, placing her hands on her hips. Even from his distance, Sirius could hear James sigh wistfully.

"Of course not, Evans!" Sirius exclaimed. "Do you _really _think I'd do something like that?"

"In a word, yes," Sasha interjected. Clearly, Sirius had been waiting for this.

"Ah! Berg! Just the hideous man I was looking for!" he grinned.

Sasha sighed exasperatedly. "What _now_, Black?" she groaned.

"I have to make up for lost time, you know," Sirius replied.

Frowning confusedly, Sasha asked, "Make up for _what_?"

"For torturing you, of course!" Sirius said as if it was obvious. "I've gone a month without it, Berg! Do you _really _think that I'm going to wait, now that you're in a fit state of mind?"

Sasha slapped her forehead. "Girls, remind me in the future: _Never _listen to Black."

"You're the one who came up with that rule!" Alice laughed. "You'd think that you'd remember it!"

"Well, apparently, we all overestimate me," Sasha grumbled moodily. "So, Black- what first? Pranking or hexing? Take your pick."

"Hmm… pranking," Sirius decided. "It can easily lead into hexing. It's a win-win situation!"

"Or, I have an idea!" Sasha exclaimed with fake enthusiasm. "How about- get this- we _leave each other alone _for once? Ooo, it's soooooo complicated!"

The Marauders were surprised by how abruptly Sirius' face transformed into a sad pout. "But that's no fun!" he whined.

Sasha rolled her eyes. "Believe it or not, Black, my life's ambition is _not _to entertain you."

"You go on thinking that," Sirius chuckled. "How about this- I'll get you by surprise!"

Sasha raised an eyebrow. "Sure. Whatever. Will you go away now?"

"I shan't do nothing if you don't say please!" Sirius replied.

"Don't expect me to fall for Peeves' line, Black," Sasha chortled. "Now, buh-bye!"

"Keep up your guard, Berg!" Sirius called after the girls as they strolled away, laughing together, enjoying Sasha being back in her own self.

Sirius turned back around to see Remus, James and Peter staring at him like he had just transformed into a girl right before their very eyes. He frowned in confusion. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

Their mouths remained hung open. Sirius snapped his fingers in front of their faces impatiently. "Hellooooo? Anyone in there?" He knocked on Peter's head.

"…Padfoot, when was the last time you had a girlfriend?" Remus asked slowly, the first Marauder to come out of his trance.

After thinking for a moment, Sirius replied, "Before Christmas break."

Remus' jaw dropped again, and it was Peter's turn to speak. "You haven't had a girlfriend since _before Christmas break_?! Bloody hell!"

Sirius was about to ask what was so astonishing about that, but James cut in, "Why?"

"Why what?"

James rolled his eyes at Sirius. "Why haven't you had a girlfriend in so long?"

"Hmm…" Sirius began. "Well, there weren't any girls over Christmas break, obviously, so I didn't have a girlfriend then. And this whole thing with Berg has been going on since we got back to school, so I haven't had time for girlfriend."

"Why haven't you had time for a girlfriend?" James prodded, knowing he was on to something of great importance. "You've had enough time, even though we're loaded down with work."

"No," Sirius shook his head, "I _haven't _had enough time. I've been too busy trying to help the situation with Berg, remember?"

"Oh, we remember," Remus interjected. "But here's the _real _question, Padfoot: why did you spend so much time trying to help Sasha? You could've done so much else instead- get a head start on your work, practice Quidditch, snog some girls… so why'd you decide to help Sasha?"

Sirius eyed his friends suspiciously. "You lot aren't starting to think like Macdonald, are you? Because I do NOT care about Berg!"

"Are you sure about that?" Peter squeaked, trying to read Sirius' face.

"Yes, I'm sure," Sirius assured his friends. "Trust me, mates- the day I fall for Berg will be the day I become a Death Eater."

James arched his eyebrows, chuckling. "We never suggested that you were going to _fall _for her, Sirius- we just suggested that you _cared _for her," he pointed out. "But now that you mention it…"

"What?! No! Of course not!" Sirius spluttered. "That's preposterous!"

"Big word," Remus commented. "Finally read that dictionary I gave you?"

"No!" Sirius answered a little too quickly. At his friends' skeptical gazes, he muttered embarrassedly under his breath, "I only skimmed through it!"

Remus, James, and Peter laughed loudly. "Sirius Black- reading the dictionary!" James howled. "I never thought I'd see the day!"

"Shut up, Prongs," Sirius snapped, mildly embarrassed by the looks he was receiving from innocent passerby. "Or else I'll… I'll tell Evans that you still wet your bed!"

James stopped laughing immediately (Remus' and Peter's laughter only increased), staring at Sirius in pure, unadulterated horror. "You wouldn't."

Sirius smirked. "Oh, I would."

"Bu- But that was _once_!" James protested. "And you had stuck my hand in a bowl of hot water!"

"So?" Sirius shrugged. "You still wet the bed." He sprinted off down the hallway, chortling as he went.

"Oi! Padfoot! WAIT!" James shouted, running after him. "DON'T TELL HER! I STOPPED LAUGHING! HEY! STOP!"

Remus and Peter exchanged a look, only making them laugh harder.

"I. Am. Going. To. Fucking. _Kill_. Him," Sasha growled to herself, her fists curled at her side as she marched down to the common room from the girls' dormitory.

Sitting on the couch in the common room, Delilah spotted her friend, took note of her enraged face, and gulped, "Uh-oh!" Lily, Mary and Alice all turned to where Delilah was looking and gulped simultaneously.

"Should we evacuate the First Years?" Mary muttered to her friends out of the corner of her mouth.

"We should evacuate _everyone_," Lily replied.

"I'll get Frank," Alice hopped up, but at that moment, Sasha strolled up to them.

"Hello, girls," she greeted through clenched teeth. "Might I ask if you have seen Black recently?"

Sasha's friends gulped. She only spoke in completely impeccable grammar when she was really, _really _mad.

"Speak of the devil, and he will come," Lily muttered suddenly as the Marauders strode into the common room, Sirius in the center. At the sight of Sasha's face, all four boys gulped.

"Shit," James said under his breath as Sasha walked up to them. Luckily for him, though, her eyes rested totally on Sirius.

"Black," she began, "_where is my bed_?"

Sirius adopted a look of surprise, but it was clear that he was immensely proud of himself. "Why, Berg, I don't know what you're talking about. Where _is _your bed?"

"Well, it's not in my dormitory!" Sasha exclaimed. "So _where the hell is it_?!"

"Hmm… I have to say, I don't know. I'm _so_ sorry," Sirius responded, plainly sarcastic.

Sasha grabbed his tie and pulled down, making her and Sirius' faces at the same level, their noses barely more than an inch apart. "I'm going to say this once more, Black, and that's it: Where. Is. My. Bed?!"

Sirius' face looked oddly out of it as he replied, "On the Astronomy Tower."

Letting go of him abruptly, Sasha glared at him, hissed, "This isn't over," and made her way out of the common room.

"You should be afraid, Padfoot," Remus informed his friend gravely. "Very, _very _afraid."

"Whatever," Sirius murmured, still disoriented by how close he and Sasha had just been. "I'm going up to the dormitory," he announced, darting up to that very place.

Shrugging, James, Remus and Peter followed him.

The next morning, Sirius really shouldn't have been surprised to find every single pair of his clothing hanging from the ceiling in the Great Hall.

* * *

**_Oh my gosh, I got 17 reviews for the last chapter! Thanks soooooooooooooooooooooo much!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Please, PLEASE keep it up!_**

**_I hope you liked this chapter! Thanks for reading!_**

**_-Joelle8_**

**_P.S. Just so you know, I wrote an epilogue to go with this story, so it's now 47 chapters instead of 46. PLEASE DON'T KILL ME!!!!!!!!!!!!_**


	23. In Which Sirius is Suspicious

In Which Sirius is Suspicious

Walking into History of Magic just over a month after what the Sixth Year Gryffindors now called "Sasha's Down Period", the students were greeted with a very odd sight. Instead of Professor Binns, there was a fairly young woman with unusually wide, silvery grey eyes and long, pin-straight blond hair. She had a dreamy look to her, and was smiling so serenely it was slightly frightening.

But what was even more unusual than this woman was Sasha's reaction to seeing her.

"AMELIA!" Sasha shrieked upon seeing the woman, dropping her bag and books at her spot and rushing up to the substitute professor, squeezing her in a tight, rare hug.

"Hello, Sasha," the woman- Amelia- smiled a little broader. "How are you?"

"As well as can be expected," Sasha shrugged. "What about you? How's Xeno?"

"He's well, thanks," Amelia replied dreamily. "We think we found a herd of Nargles in our mistletoe plant, though. Quite a shame, really; we had to get rid of the whole plant!"

"Oh, I'm sorry," Sasha said sympathetically. "It's too bad; you had such lovely mistletoe."

Before Amelia could reply, Alice (who was standing with Lily, Mary, and Delilah behind Sasha) asked, "Sasha, who is this?"

"Oh! I should've introduced you!" Sasha realized, smiling apologetically at her friends. "Girls, this is Amelia; she's my cousin. Amelia, this is Mary, a.k.a. Pom-Pom, Delilah, Alice and Lily." She pointed to each of her friends as she said their names.

"You have a cousin?" Delilah asked wondrously.

Sasha nodded. "She's my only one. Well, she and her husband Xeno, that is. We're second cousins."

Alice raised an eyebrow skeptically. "'Xeno'?"

"It's short for Xenophilius," Amelia interjected. "Xenophilius Lovegood."

"That's a rather… _unusual _name," Mary mused under her breath.

"Yes, it's delightful, isn't it?" Amelia grinned. "Now, lovely as it is to talk with you lot, would you mind taking your seats? I have to begin class before Wrackspurts get the chance to take over your brains."

"Sure, Amelia!" Sasha exclaimed, going over to her seat. Her friends went to their seats, each of them wondering what in the world Wrackspurts and Nargles were.

"Good morning, class," Amelia greeted cheerily once everyone was seated. "I'm Professor Lovegood- my, that sounds weird. Professor Binns has a funeral to attend today, so I'll be teaching class for him." A few students audibly cheered in relief, and Amelia smiled a little broader. "Truthfully, I don't know all that much about History of Magic; I always fell asleep in class, myself," she spoke thoughtfully, not seeming to realize her class could hear her. They snickered, but she didn't notice, and instead continued, "Personally, I much prefer Charms, it's so fun to make spells especially… Anyhow, what have you been studying?"

Lily raised her hand, and Amelia looked at her expectantly. "We've been studying the various Goblin rebellions, Professor. We just finished learning about the one in 1612, in Hogsmeade."

Amelia frowned, and spoke, "Well, that's not at all interesting, now, is it?" Suddenly, her whole face brightened, and she seemed to get an idea. She grinned, "How about you tell me what you want to learn about, and I tell you about it? Yes, that's good; what would you like to learn about? The Rotfang Conspiracy, perhaps? That's always interesting…"

"How about the Founders of Hogwarts?" a Slytherin called out.

"Oh, that's quite a good idea!" Amelia chirped pleasantly. "Yes, yes… which one would you like to learn about first?" Choruses of "Slytherin!" and "Gryffindor!" rang out, and Amelia eventually decided, "Hmm, I know a bit more about Godric Gryffindor… I think I'll tell you about him." The Slytherins huffed and slouched in their seats, and the Gryffindors smirked victoriously.

_This sub is cool, _Sirius wrote on a note to James, who he sat next to. _Weird, but cool. Hot, too._

_**She's a professor, Pads**__, _James wrote back. _**That's gross. Besides, she's married. And she's Berg's cousin.**_

_How do you know that?!_

_**I heard Berg telling her friends.**_ At reading this note, Sirius turned to look at Sasha. To his surprise, she was not sitting straight up in her seat in interest like her friends- and the rest of the class, for that matter; rather, she was slouching in her seat, and looked almost… nervous? _What does she have to be nervous about? _Sirius wondered.

"Nobody knows when Godric Gryffindor was born, but we do know he came from Godric's Hollow- or so it's called nowadays- in the West Country," Amelia declared before Sirius could pass a note back to James. "They say that area is especially infested gnomes; if you'd like the ability to sing opera, or speak Mermish, that would be quite a good place to move. Gernumbli magic, you know; it's very interesting. I don't know if Gryffindor would agree, but I'd like to think he would. Not much is known about him, actually. He was one of the four Founders of Hogwarts, of course; I think we all know that. He was known for his bravery. Despite their differences, he was best friends with Salazar Slytherin until the latter left Hogwarts. Quite sad, really, if you ask me, that an issue as petty as a person's blood ruined a friendship." Lily tensed as she felt Severus Snape glance at her; she, too, had recognized how the two situations were similar. But she didn't plan on forgiving her ex-best-friend anytime soon. Neither did Gryffindor, as far as she knew, and she was perfectly alright with that.

"What did Gryffindor look like?" Remus asked, his hand in the air politely.

"Ooo, good question, Mister…?"

"Remus Lupin, ma'am."

"Oh, so _you're _Remus!" Amelia beamed. "You're Sasha's friend! Oh, goody! How nice to meet one of her friends- she's told me so much about you!"

"Erm, thanks, I guess," Remus blushed. "It's, er, nice to meet you, too, Professor."

"Thank you! People rarely mean that when they say it, you know, to me, at least; they find me a tad odd, but I haven't the slightest bit why," Amelia babbled, looking the faintest bit hurt. "By the way, Gryffindor had green eyes, and red hair."

"Like Lily?" James called out, his gaze directed- as usual- to the object of his affections, who turned around and glared at him for putting her on the spot. He grinned back crookedly.

Amelia seemed to recognize James' feelings and sighed, "Ah, young love. You two look quite good together, you know." James beamed while Lily spluttered protests; the class broke out into laughter as a result. Oblivious to this, Professor Lovegood answered James' question. "Well, I suppose you could sort of say that, except for one thing. Gryffindor's hair wasn't as much of an_ orange_, like Lily's and most redheads', as it was an actual _red_… according to every record of him, Gryffindor's hair was more of a brick red than anything else." Out of the corner of his eye, Sirius saw Sasha pale and try- it seemed- to sit on her hair.

_Why the hell is she trying to sit on her hair? _Sirius wondered. _It's like she's trying to hide it or something… but that doesn't make any sense!_

"Does Gryffindor have any descendants?" Frank Longbottom called out curiously from his seat next to Alice.

"None that we know of," Amelia responded, her voice still dreamy. "Though he could very well have some. We really don't know."

Sasha shrunk lower in her chair, praying that nobody would notice her trying to hide her hair. _Why did Amelia have to bring up Gryffindor? _She moaned internally. _Or, more specifically, his hair? Though, that wasn't really her fault… but still! Darn you, Remus! _She tried in vain again to sit on her hair, and hide the ends of it from view.

Sirius, watching his enemy and thoroughly disengaged from what he assumed might have actually been a fairly interesting conversation for once, was extremely confused. Quickly, he scribbled out a note to her, and sent it under the desks; thankfully, Professor Lovegood didn't notice. He privately doubted that the out-of-it teacher would have done anything about it, though.

Sasha picked up the note and read, _Berg- why are you trying to sit on your hair?_

Evading answering the question (and hoping Sirius wouldn't notice)she wrote back, **Black- why were you staring at me?**

_Don't avoid the question, _Sirius replied. Sasha cursed internally before writing back,

**I'll avoid it if I want to, Black. It's none of your damn business. Besides, what makes you think I'd tell**_** you**_**, of all people? **

Sirius frowned at the note. Why wouldn't she tell him? Sure, they weren't necessarily the best of friends- the exact opposite, in fact, as everyone knew quite well by now- but still…

Suddenly, Sasha's hand shot up in the air, and Sirius noticed that she was very pale, even more than usual, and still trying- unsuccessfully- to sit on her hair.

"Yes, Sasha?" Amelia asked, looking over at her cousin. Noting Sasha's pale appearance, she frowned in concern and questioned, "Are you alright?"

"No; I feel a bit queasy, and I don't know why. May I please go to the Hospital Wing?" Sasha requested quietly. "I _really _don't feel good."

"You look like you've eaten some of the shavings of a Crumple-Horned Snorkack's horn," Amelia mused thoughtfully, causing her students to wonder what in the world a Crumple-Horned Snorkack was. "They're known poisons, you know."

"I know," Sasha nodded, inwardly sighing, _Oh, poor, naïve cousin Amelia. I knew marrying Xeno would only make her crazier. _"May I please go to the Hospital Wing now?"

"Of course. Stop by later once you're well again, won't you, Sasha? I'd love to catch up," Amelia smiled, and it was clear she meant it.

"Sure," Sasha smiled faintly before dashing out of the room. She didn't come back, and Sirius couldn't help but think about his enemy's strange behavior for the rest of the lesson.

"Sasha!" Delilah exclaimed, seeing her friend in the common room later that evening. "What happened during History of Magic? Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," Sasha assured the tomboy. "I had a dizzy spell, but I'm okay now. Madam Pomfrey told me that I could rest for the rest of the day if I wanted to; who am I to refuse an offer to skip classes?"

"Good point," Alice laughed, coming up behind her taller friend.

"Well, _I _think Sasha should take school more seriously," Lily chided, following Alice over. "We have N.E.W.T.s next year, after all!" The redhead's friends rolled their eyes, each muttering under their breath (in some form or another), "Bloody Prefect."

"Are you sure you're alright?" Mary made sure, looking at Sasha in great concern. "You looked awful peaky back in History of Magic; maybe you should go back to the Hospital Wing..."

"I'm fine, really, I am, Pom-Pom- but thanks," Sasha smiled reassuringly, touched by her curly-haired friend's worry. "I think I'm going to go for a nice, relaxing walk; and Lily, I swear to God, Merlin, and whatever the hell else that if I end up being out after curfew and you give me detention, I will refuse speak to you for two weeks- if not more!" Mary, Delilah and Alice chuckled at this (Lily rolled her eyes, smiling all the same), and Sasha waved at her friends as she went out of the portrait hole.

At the other side of the common room, the Marauders were discussing their upcoming prank when Sirius saw Sasha leave the common room out of the corner of his eye. He told his friends, "I'm going to go for a walk, see you lot later," and quickly followed his enemy out of Gryffindor Tower.

"Off to have a date with Filch, are you, Berg?" Sirius called after growing exceptionally bored (even for him) of silently following Sasha for three minutes.

Sasha rolled her eyes, and didn't even bother turning around. "Resorted to stalking me, have you, Black? I mean, we all know you're obsessed with me, but for you to go _this _far…"

"You wish," Sirius scoffed. "Oi, what happened to you in History of Magic today?"

Sasha stopped walking. _Was it that obvious something was wrong? _She thought nervously. Out loud, she responded, "I didn't feel well. It's winter, after all; everyone's getting colds, right and left. I'm just one of those people. Madam Pomfrey gave me some Pepperup Potion, and I'm all better now." Inwardly, she patted herself on the back for thinking up such a good excuse.

"Really? Because you told your friends that you had a dizzy spell," Sirius reminded her, and she cursed internally, taking back her pat-on-the-back. "Why are you lying to people, Berg?" Sirius asked suspiciously, coming up right behind Sasha.

"I'm not lying," Sasha claimed, "I- I have a cold, and… it gave me a dizzy spell. It's not too uncommon, really."

"You're lying."

"Oh, am I?"

"Yes. You stuttered. That means you lied," Sirius told his enemy, and she cursed under her breath, still not having turned around. "What haven't you told people, Berg?"

Sasha replied forcefully, "It's none of your business," and tried to keep walking, but Sirius' strong, warm hand grabbed her wrist and pulled her back so that her back was nearly pressed against his torso.

"You're hiding something, Berg. And it has to be something important, or else you wouldn't be hiding it," Sirius was leaning in, whispering directly into Sasha's ear, his warm breath tickling her neck.

"That doesn't mean it's any of your business," Sasha said fiercely, fighting a shiver.

"You didn't deny that whatever you're hiding is important," Sirius stated triumphantly, smirking. After a thoughtful moment, he added, "I never thought you'd _hide _something about yourself from your friends; you always seemed more honest than that, as much as I hate to admit it." _Hopefully, I'll guilt her into telling me her secret, _Sirius told himself.

Sasha wrenched her wrist out of her enemy's grip angrily and spun around to face him. Eyes narrowed, she hissed, "Has it ever occurred to you, Black, that I'd tell my friends if I could? That maybe my secret is bigger of a deal than you could possibly imagine?" She took a breath, and, seeming to realize what she had just said, her eyes widened, and she murmured quietly, "I shouldn't have said that. I _really _shouldn't have said that." Every part of her body radiating agitation, she turned around and began walking away when Sirius cried out,

"I'll find out your secret! Just you wait, Berg; I will!"

Sasha stopped in her tracks and told Sirius, just loud enough so he could hear her, "Then you're getting in way over your head, Black. Trust me on that." Without waiting for a response, she strutted away, determined not to show her unease. If someone found out her secret… that would _not _be good. Not at all.

_Especially _if the person to figure it out was her arch nemesis.

Realizing that trying to call Sasha back would be useless, Sirius turned back to return to the Gryffindor common room. Though he looked- as always- at ease, without a single care in the world, his thoughts were whirling (creating a searing headache that he was determined not to go to Madam Pomfrey about). _Whatever Berg's hiding, she obviously doesn't want me- or anyone else- to find it out, _he thought. _That means it's important… but what could it be? _

He thought back to the History of Magic class. Obviously, the conversation about Godric Gryffindor was what had initially disturbed Sasha; and when they had begun to talk about Gryffindor's hair, she seemed to grow even more disturbed, going so far as to try to sit on her hair. _It doesn't make any sense, _Sirius frowned in confusion. _What about Gryffindor could make her so… anxious? _

Suddenly, he bumped into something, and heard the person he had bumped into giggle and chirp, "Oh, hello, Sirius! I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to bump into you! Are you okay?" Sirius looked down and saw the epitome of one of his usual conquests: blond, too much make-up, and well endowed. _Well,_ _the Berg issue's sorted out. And_ _what better way to get rid of my headache than snog it out? _He asked himself.

"Actually, I don't feel all that well," Sirius smirked down at the girl, whose name, House and age he couldn't remember. "Do you think you could help me feel better?"

The girl giggled flirtatiously. "I think I could."

"Broom closet sound good for you?"

"Perfect!" The girl exclaimed, over the moon at the prospect of snogging the infamous Sirius Black. She and Sirius made their way to the nearest broom closet, and stayed there until Lily caught them (tutting under her breath and shaking her head disapprovingly), gave them both detentions- separately, quite an intelligent move on her part, Sirius had to admit- and sent them back to their common rooms (it turned out the girl was a Hufflepuff).

By that time, Sirius had completely forgotten about Sasha's secret.

Lily Evans loved being a Prefect. It was a fact, plain as day, just as true as the sky being blue or James Potter being obsessed with her was (much to her dismayed chagrin).

And so, when she entered her dormitory after doing her Prefect rounds grumbling quietly about how much she hated being a Prefect sometimes, it was only natural for her friends- who were, of course, still awake- to sit up and look at her in alarm.

"What's wrong, Lily?"

"What happened?"

"Did you see Potter or something?"

"Have you _finally _realized that we're right and being a Prefect is painfully boring?"

"Sasha, no, I did not see Potter- and Delilah, no, I most certainly did _not _suddenly decided that my Prefect duties are dull!" Lily shook her head fervently. Aforementioned friends pouted; neither of them particularly enjoyed being wrong, or being told so.

"What happened, then?" Alice repeated her question. "You sounded awfully disgruntled just a minute ago!"

"Oh, believe me, I still am," Lily nodded rapidly. "But I can't exactly complain about it to myself when you're all talking to me, now, can I?"

"You can complain to us, though," Mary pointed out.

"Right. So talk," Sasha ordered.

Lily rolled her eyes. "Sasha, you are _so _bossy!" she laughed. "It's not a particularly long, important, or even interesting story, though- are you lot _sure _you want to hear it?"

"YES!"

"Okay, okay, okay!" Lily held up her hands in surrender, sitting down on her bed. Mary, Delilah, Alice and Sasha sat down on their own beds as well.

"We're ready. You may speak now," Delilah remarked, barely suppressing a grin.

Again, Lily rolled her eyes. "Yes, I _really _need your permission to do things, Delilah."

"Yes, you do. I'm glad you've finally admitted it, Lily!"

"Do you want me to tell the story or not?"

"Yes!" Alice exclaimed. "Delilah, shut up! Lily, don't listen to her! Tell your story!"

"Well," Lily began, "I was doing my Prefect rounds with Remus, when he took a piece of parchment- I think it was his Charms assignment or something- out of his pocket. He looked at it, and then he suddenly said that he had to go to the bathroom. So he went, and I kept walking by myself, and after a while, I heard some thumping and sucking noises- you know, the usual- in a nearby broom closet, and you won't guess who I found!" The redhead finished sarcastically, looking at her friends pointedly.

"Black," Delilah, Alice, Mary and Sasha chorused.

"Yep," Lily nodded. For some reason, Sasha felt a flame of what felt like anger (but couldn't be, of course- why would she be angry over Black snogging someone?) flare up inside of her. "He was all tangled up with a Fourth Year from Hufflepuff; I don't know her name. Anyways, it was disgusting… just talking about it makes me want to barf!"

"Not on the bed!" Alice pleaded. Her friends looked at her strangely, and she held up her hands defensively. "What? I'm the one who cleans here!"

"What about the House Elves?"

"They do the shifts while we're asleep, Delilah; who do you think cleans the room when we're all awake?"

"True," Mary laughed.

"Don't worry, Alice- I'm not going to barf," the redhead assured her blonde friend. "Listen, I'm really tired; I'm going to go to sleep now."

"Party pooper!" Delilah accused.

"Don't care," Lily replied, dressing into her pajamas and lying down on her bed. "Good night, all."

"Good night," the other girls chorused.

"I bet Remus knew that Sirius was in a broom cupboard, and didn't want to give his friend a detention," Sasha muttered. Alice, Mary and Delilah nodded in agreement.

"It certainly seems likely," Mary said thoughtfully, "but how would Remus know?"

"Beats me," Sasha shrugged, hoping Mary couldn't tell that she knew exactly who- or what, rather- the blame fell on: The Marauder's Map. "I think I'm gonna sleep now, too. Good night."

"See you in the morning," Alice smiled, as Mary said, "Good night," and Delilah grumbled about party poopers under her breath some more.

Sasha's last thought before she fell asleep was confusion as to why on earth she was so angry about Black snogging someone. After all, he was just Black. She hated him.

Even if he did give her a tingling feeling.

* * *

_**Yay! We've gotten to Sasha's secret! What do YOU think it is? Please review!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!**_

**_Thanks for reading (and hopefully reviewing)!_**

**_Joelle8_**


	24. In Which Sasha is Overheard

In Which Sasha is Overheard

For the first time in her six years and a half years of going to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, someone noticed Sasha as she went to Professor Dumbledore's office for her weekly meeting. This someone?

Sirius Black, of course. Who else?

Ever since that rather unusual day, when he had discovered that Sasha had an important secret, the only time the matter hadn't plagued his mind was when he was snogging someone. Though this was quite annoying for Sirius, it made the majority of Hogwarts' female population very, very happy.

When Sasha left the Gryffindor common room on Thursday, February tenth, it had been one of the few times that week that Sirius had not been in the middle of snogging someone, and was, instead, in the Gryffindor common room. Therefore, he saw Sasha's departure, and decided that no harm could come from him following her (besides her hexing him, but that was rather minor; he would just come up with some sort of reasonable excuse and hope she believed him for once in their lives).

Not wasting any time by thinking before acting, Sirius darted up into his dormitory, snatched James' Invisibility Cloak from inside of his best mate's large, clunky trunk, threw it on and dashed back down and out of the common room. Thankfully, it was late at night, so he and Sasha were the only two people wandering the corridors; this made it all the easier for him to hear her footsteps and catch up to her before she reached her destination.

Needless to say, he was rather… _surprised _when Sasha entered the Headmaster's office; it was a well known fact that she was generally a good student- notoriously so, in fact. The door to Professor Dumbledore's office shut right before Sirius could enter it, and he didn't dare try to open it unnoticed. He knew too much about Dumbledore's famous abilities to dare to do that. Instead, he just put his ear to the door, and strained to hear.

"Have you practiced what I last taught you recently, Sasha?" Professor Dumbledore was asking, in his usual patient voice.

"Besides our lessons… no. I've tried to find some time alone, but it's real hard. As it is, Black already suspects something," Sasha replied, sounding abnormally serious.

"Sirius Black is an exceedingly clever young man," Dumbledore spoke (Sirius swelled up with pride as the Headmaster said this). "But, despite that, I do not want anyone to know about your secret- as you very well know." Sirius couldn't help but wonder what the secret was, yet again and in full force; if _Dumbledore _did not want him to know about it, maybe Sasha was right. Maybe he really _was _in over his head.

"I have no intentions of letting anyone figure it out in my lifetime, Professor Dumbledore; let alone _Black_," Sasha responded, practically spitting the loathed boy's name. Sirius tensed in anger.

"Good. Would you like to continue our lesson now? If your only time to practice is here, then we must make the most of it," the Headmaster replied approvingly.

"Yes, please, Sir," Sasha answered. "Which one should we practice first?"

"How about we start with fire, as a warm-up?" Professor Dumbledore suggested.

"Okay!" Sasha chirped quickly, and Sirius could tell she was excited. He, however, was terribly confused; what could they be doing that had to do with fire and involved secret, private meetings?

About three minutes passed, with no sound escaping through the doors. Then, Dumbledore said merely, "Water." Another few silent minutes passed before the Professor spoke, "Air." A few minutes of silence after that, Sirius could just barely make out his Headmaster saying the word "Earth". This time, Sirius could hear sounds; but instead of talking, he heard what sounded like a section of the wooden floor being ripped out of the ground. A moment later, he heard glass shatter, and what sounded like a fairly large rock landing on the ground.

"Oh, I'm so, so sorry, Professor!" Sirius could barely make out Sasha apologizing hastily. "I swear, I didn't mean to!"

"It's quite alright, Sasha," the Headmaster assured the student. "That is much better when it is done when one is surrounding by actual Earth. After all, Earth is the one Element that cannot be created through magic, or through natural means. Air; you are surrounded by it. Water; the air is filled with it in evaporated form, and there are always many spells that create water. Fire; there are spells that create it. But unless we want to turn something into stone, then there is no way we can access Earth without being around it."

"Do you want me to pay for the damages, Sir?" Sasha offered, still sounding as if she felt very, very bad. "I have enough money, I really wouldn't mind."

"No need for that," Dumbledore assured her. A second of silence passed, and then Sirius could hear glass and other objects repairing and going back to their allotted places. He assumed the Headmaster had used a nonverbal spell to put everything in his office right. A moment after this, Dumbledore continued, "At our next meeting, I will make sure I have some dirt, or some form of Earth, so that this does not happen again."

"Fine by me," Sasha agreed readily. "I don't really fancy making a mess of your office."

Dumbledore chuckled, and Sirius could imagine his blue eyes twinkling in amusement. "I'm glad to hear that, Sasha. Now tell me, even though I will be the first to admit that this is terribly off topic, how is Zevi?"

Sirius could hear Sasha's smile through her voice, and could not help reflect on how bright a smile it was. "He's great, Professor. He and Puck are best buddies; Lily and I get a kick out of it. Alice is honestly the best gift-giver in the world."

"Yes, it is quite convenient; not only do you get a magnificent animal as your own, but it's small enough to be extremely easy to take care of!" Dumbledore exclaimed.

"Yeah; plus, even though wolves are wild, Zevi's so sweet. It's absolutely adorable. He's as tame as a dog, but still with all the skills and assets of the wolf he is! Only in miniature!" Sasha laughed, and Sirius bit his lip to keep from joining in. It wasn't necessarily that Sasha's words had been especially funny; it was more that her hearty laugh was contagious.

Dumbledore chuckled. "I believe we have some extra time now, Sasha. So, what would you like to work on now?"

"I think you know the answer to that already, Professor," Sasha responded matter-of-factly.

The aged Professor chuckled again, this time at the girl's eagerness. "Very well, Sasha. Go ahead."

There was silence for a few seconds, and then, Sirius heard what sounded like _paws_- of all things- padding along the floor, which had been the very last thing he had expected. In fact, it didn't sound unlike Sirius' walk when he was in his dog form, except quieter and stealthier.

"Immensely impressive, if I may say so myself, Sasha," Professor Dumbledore spoke. A second passed, and the sound of paws was replaced by the sound of human feet.

"Thank you," Sasha said, and Sirius could see the proud grin on her face in his mind. The sight- even though it was in his head, and he knew it- made him smile as well, though he wasn't quite sure why. "I know I don't really _need _to practice that anymore, but it's so fun!"

"I imagine it would be," Dumbledore agreed, and Sirius was sure that his eyes were twinkling yet again.

"Why don't you become one?" Sasha questioned. "It makes me feel so… powerful. It's awesome."

"That is exactly why I will not let myself become one," Dumbledore sighed.

_Become one WHAT?! _Sirius thought, exasperated. _They keep talking about becoming something, but they won't say what it is!_

"What do you mean?" Sasha asked, confused.

Dumbledore thought for a moment before responding. "I am not the best at handling the power. It… attracts me. Being the Headmaster of this fine school is the most power I will allow myself to have."

"You don't _seem _power-hungry, Professor," Sasha spoke. "Then again, I shouldn't assume to know everything about you. After all, as the saying goes, 'Never judge a book by its cover'."

"That, Sasha, must be one of the most true sayings known to man," the Headmaster stated wisely. "Now, considering what time it is, I do believe we should wish each other farewell until our next lesson."

"Oh, shit!" Sasha exclaimed, and Sirius heard her jumping up. "It's nine already? Damn, I better not get detention!"

"Language, Sasha," Professor Dumbledore laughed good-naturedly.

"Right," Sasha said absently. Sirius, hearing her coming towards the door, jumped out from in front of it, and rushed down the stairs as fast as his legs could carry him without being extremely loud. He heard Sasha call, "Bye, Professor!" and he quickly strode out into the hallway in front of the Headmaster's Tower.

Sirius stopped walking and turned around, only to see Sasha exiting the Headmaster's Tower, much like he had just done. He breathed a sigh of relief; and in doing so, he greatly underestimated his enemy's hearing.

"Who's there?" Sasha asked, quick as a whip, pulling her wand out from beneath her black robes. She took a few steps towards where Sirius was standing perfectly still, hoping she didn't hear him, and he- quite foolishly, he would realize a split second too late- cursed under his breath. Sasha's eyes narrowed into mere slits. She lowered her wand just a tad, still having it at the ready, and raised a curious eyebrow. "Black? Is that you?" He stayed silent. Sasha smirked, seeming to remember something, muttered, "Homenum Revelio." Sirius knew this spell, and knew that he had been discovered. Still not daring to move, he stayed where he was, even as Sasha walked ever closer to him, until she was directly in front of him. Smirking triumphantly, her eyes still narrowed (creating what may have been the most frightening expression Sirius had ever seen on her face), she casually pulled the Invisibility Cloak off of Sirius.

"Damn," Sirius swore. "Erm, well, heh heh, hello, Berg. Lovely weather today- tonight, rather- don't you think?"

"Were you following me?" Sasha glared at him, plainly not in the mood for small talk.

"No," Sirius replied; much too quickly. When Sasha narrowed her eyes even more (something he had thought before was impossible; she just kept proving him wrong), he knew he had been found out.

"How long have you been following me?" Sasha asked abruptly.

"Well… maybe… um… since you left the Gryffindor common room about an hour ago," Sirius mumbled, his voice significantly higher pitched, very nearly shrinking in fear at Sasha's murderous stare.

"How much did you hear?" She questioned, her voice low and vicious.

"Hear of what?" Sirius played dumb.

Sasha caught the act before Sirius could bat his eyes innocently. "Don't you _dare _play dumb with me, Sirius Black! How much did you hear of me and Dumbledore's lesson?"

"You know my first name?!" Sirius exclaimed, startled.

"Of course I do," Sasha rolled her eyes. "You know mine, too."

"I do? Since when?" Sirius asked in fake bewilderment.

"You're avoiding my original question, Black," Sasha stated harshly. "I'm assuming your microscopic brain is incapable of remembering what that question was, so, for your benefit, I'll repeat it: Exactly how much did you hear of my lesson with Dumbledore?"

"Everything?" Sirius practically squeaked, and Sasha paled, running an anxious hand through her long ringlets of hair. He continued, "So, you have private lessons with Dumbledore, eh? Is that part of your big secret?"

There was a pause. "If you heard everything," Sasha said slowly, "then you heard Dumbledore specifically tell me to make sure nobody found out anything about my secret. What makes you think I'd tell you anything about it after hearing that?"

Sirius shrugged. "I don't know. Just a hope, I guess. So, Berg… what were you doing in there?"

After a moment, Sasha replied, "And what the hell makes you think I would I tell you?"

"Because I asked politely?" Sirius said hopefully.

"I wouldn't tell you if you were as good a friend to me as Remus and you asked in the most polite way possible," Sasha spoke fiercely. "Listen, Black; I told you this the last time you stalked me, but I'll say it again, because you haven't seemed to have gotten the message through your astoundingly thick head. You. Are. In. Over. Your. Head. Take my advice and get out now, before you're in too deep to go back. It's better for you, in the long run. Trust me on this one. You'll never figure it out anyways."

"I beg to differ!" Sirius protested. "I was _not _stalking you! And I'm plenty smart! It can't be too hard to figure it out!"

Sasha shook her head. "You'll never figure it out," she repeated. "No one ever has, and I intend to ensure that it stays that way, so don't come crying to me when you give up because you haven't found a single bloody lead."

"I don't cry, Berg," Sirius scoffed.

"Yes you do, Black. Everyone does. Even _I _do," Sasha pointed out.

"Everyone _except _me," Sirius contradicted, puffing out his chest proudly. It was all Sasha could do not to burst out laughing so hard that she started crying.

"Bullshit," She stated calmly, once her insanely large urge to laugh had disappeared. "You are more full of yourself than anyone I've ever met in my entire life, Black. You think you're 'too strong' to cry. Don't deny it, because I know it's true. Everyone cries, Black; in fact, if you ask me, the strongest people are those who aren't afraid to admit it."

"_Did _I ask you?" Sirius raised an eyebrow, crossing his arms over his chest, eagerly enjoying the beginning of this argument. "And is that _really_ what you think? Because if I remember correctly- and I'm positive that I do- just over a month ago, you _refused _to cry. You obviously thought that not crying made you seem strong."

"_Thought, _Black. Past-tense. Yeah, I used to think that. But, I learned better, and changed my mind. In fact, you were the one who told me it was okay to cry, if my memory serves me correctly- and I know it does!" Sasha crossed her arms as well, feeling that familiar thrill inside that made arguing with Sirius- more than anyone else- so incredibly fun.

"You know, you still haven't thanked me," Sirius spoke after a moment. "For making you feel better about your dad's death, I mean."

Sasha sighed, "When a person does a good deed, if they're a decent person in any sort of way, they generally don't ask for anything in return." After a moment, she added under her breath, so that Sirius could just barely hear her, "But… thank you."

Sirius smirked, and cupped his hand around his ear, pretending that he hadn't heard her. "I'm sorry, what was that? I didn't quite catch it."

"You heard me; otherwise you wouldn't be smirking. I'm not going to say it again," Sasha said, with a triumphant smirk of her own.

_Damn her and her logic! _Sirius cursed internally. Out loud, he proclaimed, "All the same, I would like to hear it again."

"Oh, did it make you feel all warm and fuzzy inside?" Sasha laughed. "I didn't know you felt that way about me, Black!"

Sirius snorted. "You wish, Berg."

"Yeah, _right_." Sasha rolled her eyes sarcastically. "You wish I wished that."

"Ha, that's a good one. It's more like you wish I wish you wished that."

"No, you wish I wish you wish I wished that!"

"…That doesn't make any sense," Sirius declared after a moment, and he and Sasha- to their surprise, as well as that of a First Year passing by innocently- burst out laughing.

The two Gryffindors stopped laughing as abruptly as they had started when Mrs. Norris came strutting over, her tiny tail in the air, meowing loudly, her yellow eyes large and lamp-like. To Sirius' surprise, the demon kitten pleasantly trotted over to Sasha and wound her tail around the girl's legs, her meow changing to an admittedly adorable purr. Chuckling at her enemy's shocked face, Sasha bent down and gingerly picked up the cat as if it was something she did every day of her life.

"You confuse me, Berg," Sirius spoke, staring in wonder at Mrs. Norris, who was still purring pleasantly, eyes closed in content, in Sasha's arms. "You get along with Filch _and _the Cat-From-Hell!" Mrs. Norris' eyes flashed opened suddenly and she hissed at him.

"I get along with Mrs. Norris because I get along with Filch," Sasha shrugged as if it was no big deal. She stroked the cat's fur gently, and eventually, the cat's eyes closed and it began to purr again. "She's really quite a sweet cat once you get to know her."

"You said basically the same thing about Filch; I guess like owner, like cat." Suddenly, a thought struck Sirius. "Hey… you said that you get along with Filch because of something you have in common. Does that have anything to do with your big secret?"

Sasha thought a moment before answering, "Not directly, no. I'm still not going to tell you what Filch and I have in common, though," she added, seeing the question forming on Sirius' lips.

"It has something to do with Squibs…" Sirius remembered out loud. "Do you know a Squib or something?"

"…Not now," Sasha said slowly.

"What do you mean, 'Not now'? Did you used to know a Squib or something?"

As Sirius finished his question, Sasha abruptly set down Mrs. Norris on the ground, shot back, "Didn't I already tell you that I'm not going to tell you anything?" turned on her heel and quickly began the long walk back to the common room.

"I'll take that as a 'Yes'," Sirius muttered thoughtfully under his breath before following his enemy back to Gryffindor Tower.

_**Hiya, everybody! Thank you soooooooooooooooo much for all the reviews- 15! Wow! I'm sooooooo sorry for not updating in a while! Blame school- oh, work, how I hateth thee!**_

**_I hope you liked this chapter! Thanks for reading, and please review!_**

**_-Joelle8_**


	25. In Which it is Valentine's Day

In Which It Is Valentine's Day (Need Anything More Be Said?)

Valentine's Day. To some girls, the mere mention of this holiday is received with excited squeals, gushing about the objects of their affections, and gossiping about who will ask who to be their Valentine.

To Lily Evans, Valentine's Day was the most dreaded day of the year, as it was sure to bring embarrassment, anger, and even- very rarely!- guilt on her part. Why? James Potter, of course. Every Valentine's Day, he'd come up with some extravagant scheme to make Lily fall for him, a scheme which just _had _to be displayed in front of every person in Hogwarts. And Lily would be incredibly embarrassed at being put in the spotlight like that, she'd get mad at James for _putting _her in the spotlight like that, and when she rejected him- _again_- she'd pretend not to see his hurt face, and would end up feeling guilty as soon as she was alone to think about it.

This same cycle took place on Lily's birthday. How James had found out about what day that was, she had no idea; she suspected Remus, but, having no evidence, she could inflict no punishment on him. Her seventeenth birthday, this year, had been no exception…

"_HAPPY BIRTHDAY!" Mary, Delilah, Alice and even Sasha_ _shouted excitedly at the redhead on the morning of January 30, effectively woke Lily up, and she beamed up at her friends._

_"Thank you!" She chirped merrily. "I can't believe I'm seventeen!"_

_"Us either," Alice spoke. "It seems like just yesterday we were all excited eleven-year-olds eating dinner together in the Great Hall for the first time."_

_"Ah, yes; wasn't that the day you got in your first fight with Potter, Lily?" Delilah grinned, and Lily playfully swatted at her. "I guess some things never change!" The girls all laughed at this true statement._

"_Well, I'm just happy I'm not the only one of us who can do magic outside of school," Sasha grinned._

_"Speaking of which," Mary said softly, "what're you gonna do first? You know, magic-wise, now that you're legal and all?"_

_Lily thought, but couldn't seem to come up with anything special enough to be considered he first act of legal magic. "I dunno," she shrugged. "I guess I'll just do magic when I want to."_

_"Sounds good to me!" Alice smiled. "Hey, let's all go get something to eat; I'm starving!"_

_"Besides, we have classes, too," Mary reminded them. The girls groaned in unison- including Lily, for once._

_"Why do I have to go to classes on my birthday?" Lily moaned. "It's not fair! I should get the day off to party!"_

_"Yeah!" Delilah agreed. "And we should get the day off for being your friends, so you'll have someone to party with!" Sasha, Mary, Alice and Lily laughed in agreement._

_The five friends got dressed, and headed down to the Great Hall. They were walking through the doors when it happened._

_The moment Lily set foot in the Great Hall, a banner made entirely out of fireworks exploded in the sky, reading (and yelling, in James Potter's voice), "Happy 17__th__ Birthday, Lilykins!" Flower petals- lily petals specifically, of course- fell to the ground as the banner dissolved, coating absolutely everything in the Great Hall. Lily stifled a groan; she had been so excited about her birthday that she had forgotten about this part of it. By the looks on her friends' faces- Sasha was glaring at the Marauders (especially Sirius), Delilah and Alice were stifling laughs, and Mary was glancing at Lily sympathetically- they had forgotten, too._

_"So, how do you like it, Lilykins?" James called out, confidently walking over to the redhead, clearly proud of his work. "Go out with me yet?"_

_Lily's eyes narrowed. "No, Potter, I will NOT go out with you today, I will NOT go out with you tomorrow, I will NOT go out with you a week from now, a year from now; in fact, I will NEVER go out with you, if you haven't already gotten the message!"_

_"Never say never, Lilykins," the messy-haired boy said, and Lily's eyes narrowed even more, if that was at all possible._

_"Get this through your head, Potter: I. Will. Not. Go. Out. With. You."_

_"And why not?"_

_"Because you are an arrogant, conceited toerag, and I do not like you."_

_"Denial."_

_"For the last time, I'm NOT in denial! I don't have secret feelings for you, I don't like you deep down; actually, I feel nothing at all for you besides utter loathing!"_

_Lily saw James' confident façade flicker into a sad, hurt expression for just a moment, and for just that long, she felt guilty. Then, he had to go and say, "You know, hate isn't all that different from love. You could very well love me, but just _think _you hate me." Even though he sounded like he was trying to convince himself of this more than he was trying to convince Lily, she still felt her face heat up in rage._

_"Potter, I'm not going to become a notch on your bedpost," she spat, and James looked slightly surprised. "We all know that you only want to go out with me just so you can say that you've scored the 'Unattainable Lily Evans'. But let me tell you something-"_

_"No, let me tell _you _something," James cut her off, surprising Lily so much that she said nothing. "I don't want you just so I can say that I've- how did you put it?- 'scored' you. You could _never _be a notch on my bedpost, because you are so, so, so much better than that; you're _worth _so much more than that. Anyone who would make you a notch on their bedpost deserves to go to Hell." James took a breath- and, along with that, a step closer to Lily. _

"_I want you because you're smart, and funny, and bloody gorgeous. I want you because you're so devoted to your friends and family, and would do anything for them. I want you because you're kind and caring to everyone you've ever met- besides me, that is. I want you because you're flawed, but you recognize it, and you're okay with it. I want you because I've never once been bored with you, and I don't think I ever could be, because you always have some sort of witty comment to make me smile. I want you because you're the most perfect girl in the world, in my eyes."_

_The whole Great Hall was silent, staring at James Potter and Lily Evans in shock, wondering what would happen after that- admittedly sweet and touching- proclamation of affection. Lily seemed to be a statue, she was so still, and her mouth hung open in an adorable "O" of surprise. After a few minutes of this heavy, tense silence, James asked, grinning confidently as usual, "So, will you go out with me now?"_

_Lily broke out of her trance, and her eyes narrowed. "No," she said briefly before striding out of the Great Hall._

_James watched her go with a depressed, confused expression. Sasha walked up to him and hissed, "Have you read the notes I gave you? On how to get Lily to like you?"_

"_Yeah, loads of times," James sighed, wondering what this was all about._

"_Oh really? Then what about _Rule #16:Don't make any big, public scenes to try to make Lily like you- especially on her birthday and Valentine's Day_, hmm? She doesn't like being the center of attention, Potter! What were you thinking?!"_

_James slapped his forehead, cursing his stupidity. "I thought… maybe… if I told her how I felt, and I did the banner, she wouldn't mind it…" he tried to explain._

"_You're a bloody idiot, Potter," Sasha glared. "She's not going to believe your _words. _You have to _prove _that you genuinely like her, through your _actions. _And while the banner was clever and all, it made a scene, and Lily _hates _that." She sighed. "Look, I feel bad for you, so I'm going to give you another tip, okay?"_

"_Okay."_

"_In general, you don't say you 'want' a girl. It implies you want them for their bodies."_

"_What?! How does that make any sense?!"_

_Sasha shrugged. "Beats me, but that's the way girls think of it. Just thought you should know." This seemed to end her conversation with her fellow Gryffindor, and she turned on her heel and pranced back over to her friends. "C'mon, girls, let's get some food and bring it to the dormitory. Get some for Lily, too." The girls nodded their agreement to this plans, gathered their food, and quickly left the Great Hall. Slowly, the usual murmurs of the Hogwarts students started up again, and the only evidence that any scene involving Lily had been caused was James' desolate face and the lily petals, which Professor Flitwick cleaned up in the blink of an eye._

"_Girls," James muttered, sitting between Sirius and Remus. "I'll never understand them."_

_Sirius patted his friend's shoulder sympathetically. "None of us do, mate. None of us do."_

And so, when Lily awoke on February 14, she was considerably worried, and had every right to be. Blinking sleepily, to her surprise, she saw that all the girls- including Sasha- were already up. Lily asked groggily, "Why am I the last one up?"

"We know how you feel about today," Delilah said. "We figured you'll need all the sleep you can get to deal with whatever Potter plans."

"Oh. Well, thanks," Lily smiled, getting out of bed and putting on her robes. Once the Gryffindor girls were all dressed and ready to go, they left their dormitories and went down to the common room.

"You look lovely as usual this morning, m'dear," Frank greeted Alice playfully, walking over to his girlfriend.

Alice giggled, "Happy Valentine's Day to you too, Frank."

Frank pulled a bouquet of red roses out from behind his back in one hand, and in the other hand, a small velvet box. "Will you be my Valentine, Alice?"

"Of course," Alice grinned, and kissed Frank full on the lips. They broke apart, blushing, a few minutes later when Mary tactfully cleared her throat. Alice smiled sweetly up at her boyfriend, and took the flowers and box from him. "Thank you, Frank. The flowers are beautiful; how did you know roses are my favorite?"

Frank answered, "They're the only flower that could ever come close to being as beautiful as you." Alice blushed, and Frank continued, "Open the box; I want to see how you like it."

Alice did so, and gasped when she saw the bracelet inside. It was a chain of gold and sapphires, with a tiny golden heart hanging from it. Quaint and traditional, yet sophisticated and romantic; exactly Alice's style. Her friends shot Frank thumbs-ups from behind her back. "Oh, Frank, it's gorgeous!" Alice gushed. "I love it! Will you help me put it on?" Frank did so, and then kissed her hand in a gentlemanly way, and led her to the Great Hall, ignoring everyone around them, oblivious to all except each other. It was quite sweet, really.

"I'm so happy for her," Mary sighed as she and the girls walked to the Great Hall themselves.

"Me, too," Lily agreed. Turning to Sasha, she asked playfully, "Sasha, do you think we'll ever find our own Franks?"

"I'm sure we will," Sasha assured her friend. "After all, we're attractive, intelligent, caring, fun girls! Not to mention modest." Mary rolled her eyes and Lily and Delilah laughed. Just then, Dexter Corner ran up behind Delilah.

"Guess who?" He whispered into her ear. Delilah spun around and grinned up at her boyfriend.

"Good morning to you, too," she smiled.

Dexter grinned, "Yes, it _is _a good morning. After all, you're my Valentine."

"I am?" Delilah questioned, playing dumb.

"If you say you will be," Dexter said.

"Well, I will be."

"Then happy Valentine's Day, Valentine," Dexter beamed, and kissed his girlfriend softly. "Hey, I was thinking; do you want to go for a fly today?"

"We have classes, though," Delilah reminded him.

"Your point?" Dexter raised an eyebrow. "Loads of kids are skipping classes today. The teachers _expect _them to. I found this little spot near the Forbidden Forest that's real nice; we could fly over there, and if we're careful, I don't think the teachers will notice us."

Delilah shrugged. "Sounds good to me! I never thought a _Ravenclaw _would want to skip classes, though," she added teasingly.

"I guess you just bring out the rebel in me," Dexter chuckled, taking his girlfriend's hand and leading her outside. Delilah didn't even look back at her friends once.

Mary sighed, "I'd settle for my own Dexter, too."

"Agreed," Lily and Sasha said simultaneously.

With that, the three girls continued their way to breakfast silently, each wishing they had someone to spend the most romantic day of the year with.

Upon entering the Great Hall, the girls were greeted with a scary sight: everything in the Great Hall was either pink or red, and rose petals were falling from the bewitched sky, and when they touched the ground, the dissolved into pink-smoke hearts. In a way, it was scarily like Lily's birthday fiasco; she shuddered at the memory, before pushing it out of her mind.

The three girls took their usual seats and helped themselves to food. Sasha stared around herself in disgust. "This has to be one of the most revolting things I've ever seen," she declared.

"Oh, come on, Sasha," Lily rolled her eyes. "It's not _that _bad!"

"Yes, it _is _that bad," Sasha insisted. "It's all… pink. And frilly. And _girly_. It looks like fucking Madam Puddifoot's!"

"You don't like our decorations?" Remus asked Sasha in mock-hurt, coming up next to her.

"_You _did this?" Sasha asked incredulously. Remus nodded proudly.

"Of course. You don't think the teachers would do all this themselves, do you?"

Sasha moaned. "Why, Remus, why? Why must you torture me so? Hell, I've lost my appetite!" She realized, pushing her plate away from her.

Lily scoffed, "Right, like _that _would ever happen. You're _always _hungry, Sasha."

"Maybe that's why she's so fat," Sirius spoke, strutting over to Remus, and overhearing the snippet of conversation.

Sasha glared at him. "You are _sooooooooooooo _not one to talk, Black. Have you looked in the mirror lately?"

"Yes, I have," Sirius replied. "And each time I look, I see an outrageously handsome seventeen-year-old."

"You're full of it, Black," Sasha proclaimed. "By the way, where's your flavor of the week? Usually they're practically _glued _to your side- especially on Valentine's Day."

"I broke up with Mackenzie this morning," Sirius answered.

"One, her name was _Maxine_. Two, you broke up with her on _Valentine's Day_?! Damn, Black, that's flat-out heartless!"

"I'm not heartless!" Sirius protested.

"You could've fooled me," Sasha grumbled. Turning to her friends, she said, "I'll see you in class. I can't bear to be around this much frill anymore," and she grabbed a bagel and strode out of the Great Hall. Almost every boy within two years of her age watched her go, and some of them were obviously debating whether or not to ask her to be their Valentine. For some reason, this filled Sirius with jealousy; but he pushed the feeling down, convincing himself that he was just _imagining _that it was jealousy, and it was really… something else. He didn't know what, but he convinced himself it was something else; _anything _besides jealousy.

"Hello, all," James said, strutting over to the group, with Peter trailing behind him. Turning to Lily, he asked, "So, how do you like the decorations?"

Lily responded, "It's a bit… overwhelming, honestly. There's almost too much pink and red and flowers and such, you know?" She chuckled and added, "Sasha certainly thought so."

"What do you mean?" James asked, confused.

"Sasha has something against anything frilly and girly," Remus explained. "They're not really her style, I guess you could say."

Mary, to everyone's surprise, snorted, "That's an understatement. She hates anything that could remotely be described as 'frilly' or 'girly' or something of that sort. She just left because, in her words, 'it looks like fucking Madam Puddifoot's'!"

The other Gryffindors burst out laughing. "You have a point," Remus admitted, still chortling.

Suddenly, the most surprising thing happened. A girl- Sirius recognized her as the Slytherin Peter had danced with at the Halloween Ball- walked over to Peter and abruptly requested, "Will you be my Valentine, Peter?"

The shy boy looked ecstatic; apparently, they had really hit it off at the Ball. "S-Sure, Mallory!" He squeaked. "I was going to ask you later."

The girl- Mallory- smiled broadly. "I'm glad. Want to take a walk?"

"Okay!" Peter agreed readily, and the new couple walked hand-in-hand out of the Great Hall.

The remaining girls and Marauders watched where Peter and Mallory had just left them in shock for a minute before James declared, "Merlin's beard… Peter has a _girlfriend_!"

"We all knew it would happen someday," Remus grinned, happy for his friend.

"Are you sure that that girl's the best he could do?" Sirius said dubiously. "I mean, she's a Slytherin, for crying out loud!"

"Not all Slytherins are evil, Black," Mary pointed out softly. "I've spoken to Mallory a few times, and she's not awful, believe it or not. Pettigrew seems to really like her, so I think you should just be happy that he's happy."

James whistled. "Deep, Macdonald, deep."

"Thank you," Mary smiled. "I think I'm going to go find Sasha now and make sure she doesn't skip classes." With that, she leapt up and exited the Great Hall. Lily noticed Remus watching the quiet girl intently, almost wistfully.

"Remus, do you like Mary?" Lily asked suddenly. Remus looked startled.

"What?! No, of course not!" the werewolf protested. "I mean… she's smart, and funny, and nice, and pretty, and wonderful, but… I just see her as a friend."

"Really?" Lily's eyebrows arched skeptically. "Because you sound- and look- like you have a crush on her. You're really a terrible liar, you know."

Remus sighed and sat down. "I know."

"Why don't you ask her to be your Valentine?" James suggested.

"I'm not sure she likes me back, though!" Remus exclaimed. "Besides, I'm too dangerous."

Sirius slapped his friend upside the head. "You bloody moron. You're dangerous once a month. The rest of the time, you're a normal human being. Hell, as long as she doesn't go outside during full moons, she'll be perfectly safe!"

"Hate to say it, but I agree with Black," Lily stated. "You and Mary would make a great couple, Remus. If you don't want to ask her out yet, then that's your choice; but I think you'd be happier if you did. Now, I'd rather not be too late to class, so I'll be going." She stood up, and began to walk towards the door, but James' voice stopped her.

"Wait!" he shouted. She turned around curiously and saw James tentatively holding a red rose out to her. Lily took it from him and he asked hopefully, "Will you be my Valentine, Lily?"

"No, James," she sighed, and his face fell. "But," she added, "this was much better than your usual attempts. Thanks." Surprising even herself, she smiled at him, and then went to find her friends.

"She didn't yell at me," James spoke in awe.

"Not even _close_," Remus noted, his wide eyes blinking with shock. "Prongs, my friend, I think you might actually be making progress with her."

"Good job, Prongs!" Sirius barked, beaming and clapping his friend on the back. James just sat down, smiling wistfully, and went into Lilyland.

Altogether, it had been one of the more peaceful Valentine's Days that Hogwarts had seen in six years.

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**_Anyways, thanks for reading, and- as I said above- please review!_**

**_-Joelle8_**


	26. In Which Snape is Nosy

In Which Snape Is Nosy

Sirius was walking to the Great Hall for lunch at the beginning of lunch, thinking about both James' and Remus' upcoming birthdays, when he bumped into someone. Seeing that he had knocked down the person, he began to apologize… until he saw who it was. "Watch where you're going, Snivellus," he sneered instead.

"_You _were the one who bumped into _me_, Black," the Slytherin spat.

"I did not!" Sirius retorted, lying brilliantly. "You had your unusually large nose stuck in one of your Dark Arts books again!"

"It was my _Potions _book, for one, Black; and for another, I was carrying it at my side," Snape snapped.

"So you say," Sirius rolled his eyes. Not one to miss up his favorite hobby- teasing Severus Snape- he quickly thought of an insult. "Tell me, Snape, how's old Voldy doing? Is he proud of all the Muggleborns you've been hexing lately?"

"I've _never _hexed a Mudblood, Black," Snape hissed angrily.

"I've seen the crowd you run with, Snivellus," Sirius rolled his eyes. "You all hex Muggleborns any chance you get."

Snape glared at him, but there was a cunning glint in them. "How's your friend Lupin doing, Black? It's almost time to go to his grandmother's funeral _again_, if my calculations are correct."

Sirius' eye narrowed menacingly. The full moon was in five days- it wouldn't be on Remus' birthday, thank Merlin- and Remus was already starting to look a bit sickly. When he missed school around the full moon, one of his most frequently used excuses was the "I'm-going-to-my-grandmother's-funeral"; and apparently, Snape had caught onto the fact that Remus had to have about seventy grandmothers for that to be true.

"Touched a nerve, have I?" Snape smirked. "You know, I for one don't see why Dumbledore lets Lupin run around this place anyhow; he's a bloody monster, a danger to all of us-"

"He's _not _a monster," Sirius interrupted him. "He's not a danger of any kind. Remus is a perfectly normal human being in both those respects."

"Why lie to me, Black, when I already know the truth?" Snape raised an eyebrow. "Lupin- and you, Potter and Pettigrew- always disappear every month around the full moon. I even figured out where you go: the Forbidden Forest."

Sirius scoffed. "Yeah, right. Try the Whomping Willow, Snivellus. Ever see a big knot on the biggest tree root, the one that sticks out most? Press that, and you can get into the tunnel." He realized exactly what he had said a millisecond after he had said it- but it was already too late.

"The Whomping Willow, eh, Black?" Snape raised an eyebrow, his eyes glinting maliciously. Taking a step closer to the Gryffindor, he hissed, "I'm going to get proof that your buddy's a werewolf, you filthy blood traitor. And then you'll wish that you'd never messed with Severus Snape." With that, he turned on his heel and strode away.

As soon as Snape was far enough away not to hear him, Sirius began banging his head against the cold brick wall. "I" –BANG- "Am" –BANG- "Such" –BANG- "A" –BANG- "Stupid" –BANG- "Arse!" He turned around and sank against the wall, rubbing his sore head. _What have I done? _He asked himself with horror. _I told fucking _Snivellus _how to get into the Shack! Damn it, _he _tricked _me _into telling him! _He groaned out loud and put his head in his hands. _Bloody hell, this is bad. What am I going to do?_

Sirius sat against the wall, thinking of various ways to undo what he had done- what he had said- but he couldn't come up with any solutions. Eventually, he decided, _I'll just have to hope that he forgets what I said. If he doesn't, Remus and the others will _kill _me._ He stood up, gently rubbed his forehead one last time, and made his way to the Great Hall, trying to look like nothing out of the ordinary had happened.

"Brother, please," Sasha was begging quietly. She and Remus were sitting at a table in far corner of the library, far enough away from everyone else that they couldn't be overheard, and she was- yet again- trying to convince the werewolf to let her help with some of his transformations. His upcoming transformation was in two days' time.

"It's too dangerous, Sister," Remus shook his head. "I'm not going to let you risk your life for me."

"I wouldn't be risking my life, Remus!" Sasha exclaimed in exasperation. _Oh, I wish I could tell him I was an Animagus! If only Dumbledore didn't forbid me to, _she sighed internally.

"Yes, you _would_," Remus insisted. "Don't you get it, Sasha? I'm a _werewolf_. When I'm a werewolf, I can't control myself; I can't stop myself from hurting you, or anyone, for that matter."

Sasha's eyes narrowed. "Your other friends go with you," she accused. "Black, Potter and Pettigrew. You think I don't notice that they're usually sleeping in their breakfasts after full moons? That they tend to have more scratches and bruises around then, too? That the nights of full moons, none of them are in the common room after dinner? Most people might not notice, Remus, but _I _do. I'm not stupid."

Remus raised an eyebrow. "You realize you're calling everyone else in school stupid by saying that, right?"

"Ha! You admit that Black, Potter and Pettigrew help you with your transformations!" Sasha exclaimed triumphantly. Remus hung his head, partly in shame, partly so he could curse his own stupidity without Sasha reading his lips. "If they can help, why can't I?"

"It's… different, with them," Remus claimed slowly.

Sasha glared at him fiercely. "I don't see how it's any different," she proclaimed stubbornly.

"Listen, Sasha, please… don't try to help with my transformations or anything, okay?" Remus pleaded. "Just… let things keep going on as they are. I'd feel better that way. Please?"

Sasha stared at her friend's wide, urgent eyes, and reluctantly sighed, "Fine. I won't try to interfere with anything involving your furry little problem."

"Thanks," Remus smiled gratefully, and the two began working on their Transfiguration homework.

He never noticed that Sasha's fingers had been crossed behind her back.

"Shut up!" James hissed at Sirius and Peter under his Invisibility Cloak, as soon as Sirius opened his mouth to tell Peter off for stepping on his foot (again).

"Sorry, Prongs," Sirius and Peter whispered back.

The threesome resumed their silence as they continued their walk to the Whomping Willow. They had no idea that they were being followed.

Sasha had cast a powerful Disillusionment Charm on herself, and when she had seen the Marauders put on their Cloak, it had been all too easy to follow them. Yes, the Cloak made them invisible; but a simple nonverbal "Homenum Revelio" spell, and she could see them clear as day.

The four Sixth Year Gryffindors were about halfway to the Whomping Willow when it happened. A new figure quietly crept out of the castle doors and began walking towards the gigantic tree so quickly that it did not take too long for the figure to catch up with the Gryffindors. Peter, James and Sirius (and Sasha, though the boys didn't know this) looked over at the figure and gasped as they recognized Severus Snape. Sirius gulped; apparently, the Slytherin _hadn't _forgotten how to get into the Shack.

"Prongs," Sirius elbowed his friend. "Prongs, he's going to the Willow, to the Shack."

James' eyes widened. "You mean, he's gonna see Remus?!"

"That's exactly what I mean," Sirius nodded gravely.

"That's not good," Peter squeaked unnecessarily.

Inside her head, Sasha was thinking the same thing as Peter. Even not knowing that Sirius had told Snape how to get into the Willow, it was all too easy to guess what the Slytherin was doing. _Snape's a bloody moron, _she shook her head at the boy's foolishness. _He has to know about Remus'… condition, and yet, he's _still _coming out here! Merlin, he's stupider than Black! I didn't think that was even possible!_

Sasha and the boys quickened their paces so that they were just far enough behind Snape that they wouldn't be heard, but could catch up with him if need be. To their unanimous horror, the Slytherin touched the biggest knot on the tree root- as Sirius had accidentally told him to- and, his smirk as wide as big as the Nile River, dived inside the tunnel opening.

"No," James gasped, and he threw off the Cloak and, running and pressing the knot, rushed in after the Slytherin.

"James!" Sirius cried. His friend hadn't transformed; he could get bitten, and turn into a werewolf. Or worse, he could get killed. Sirius had seen what having your worst fear come true did to a person, and he did _not _want that happening to him.

Sasha took the Disillusionment Charm off of herself and rushed over to the two boys. "What the hell are you just standing here for?!" she shouted.

"Berg?" Sirius' eyes bugged out. "What are _you _doing here?"

"Following you, of course," Sasha shrugged as if it was no big deal. "That's not important right now. What _is _important is that your _best friend _is risking his hide right now, _and you aren't doing anything to help him_!"

"It's not like there's anything I can do!" Sirius yelled. Peter was watching the exchange with curiosity and mild fear.

"Black, I don't know _what _you do, but you and your friends can do something that makes it safe for you to be around a werewolf. So I suggest you do whatever that is and _go help Potter_!"

"You can't see," Sirius said, already visualizing the chaos that would ensue if Sasha Berg discovered he was an Animagus.

To his surprise, Sasha rolled her eyes. "Do you think I'm actually going to wait here, Black? I'm going to help, of course!"

"You can't!" Sirius protested. "It's too dangerous for you!" He didn't know why he cared whether or not something happened to Sasha, but he did.

Sasha raised an eyebrow. "Haven't I already proved to you that you don't know the first thing about me? You shouldn't judge people you don't know, Black." Not bothering to wait for her enemy's response, Sasha whipped around and ran deep into the darkness of the Forbidden Forest.

As soon as Sasha was gone, Sirius turned to Peter and ordered, "Go get a teacher. Dumbledore, if you can. But really, just any teacher who isn't Slytherin." Peter nodded his compliance, and scurried off back to the castle as fast as his little legs could carry him. Sirius then pressed the knot, turned into a big, black dog, and dashed inside of the Whomping Willow.

He found James, Snape and- unfortunately, in this particular case- Remus fairly quickly. Of course, James couldn't turn into his Animagus form in front of Severus Snape; so he was casting spells every which way, trying to ward off the hungry-looking werewolf. Sirius jumped in front of the two boys and tackled Remus. James and Snape took this moment to rush down the stairs; but the werewolf seemed to smell his prey escaping, and, throwing Sirius against the wall, leapt past him to follow them.

Just before Remus could get near the staircase, a new animal tackled him, snarling. Sirius surveyed the arrival: it was, very clearly, a wolf. The wolf had deep, sparkling, brown eyes and shaggy, black fur, except for some brick red here and there (Sirius was too worn out to observe anything in great detail). Something about the air it carried itself with told Sirius that the wolf was a girl; but she was fighting Remus better than any of the Marauders had ever done.

The wolf herded Remus back into the room, looking like it was having the time of its life. She didn't even take notice of Sirius, currently a crumpled heap in the corner. In fact, her full focus was on Remus. The werewolf slashed a deep gash into the side of the wolf's neck, and the wolf responded by snarling and pouncing on his back, hanging on with her claws for dear life. The two animals were fighting so intensely that Sirius remained unnoticed- even by Remus- as he rushed out of the Whomping Willow.

Thankfully, Snape's back was turned as Sirius exited the tunnel, so he had time to turn back into his human form. He went over to the edge of the Forbidden Forest, and began running from there, so he'd look like he had been hiding there, instead of fighting with Remus himself.

"Prongs! You're alive!" He shouted, giving his best friend a huge man-hug.

"Padfoot!" James greeted ecstatically, his face regaining a bit of color. "Are you okay?"

Sirius was about to answer "Yeah," when Snape cut in, "Not mentally."

"What do you mean?" James asked.

Snape pointed an accusing finger at Sirius. "Him. He's insane. He told me how to get into the fucking tree!"

James turned to look at Sirius, astonished. "Sirius- you didn't…"

Sirius hung his head in shame. "I swear, James, I didn't mean to. I wasn't thinking, I didn't mean to say anything about it, honest-"

"That doesn't change the fact that you told him how to get in!" James yelled. "He could've gotten killed, or turned into a werewolf, or _something _really bad! I mean, I hate him too, Sirius, but I don't want him to _die_!"

"I already told you, I didn't mean to say anything!" Sirius screamed. "I'm sorry, okay? If I could go back and take back what I said, I would, but-"

"Do you realize what that would've done to Remus?" James interrupted him. "If Remus had hurt Snape, he would've never forgiven himself. He already beats himself up as it is, if he ever seriously injured someone, who knows what he'd do to himself!"

Sirius had nothing to say to that. He had defended himself every way he could, plus, he knew James was right; he felt absolutely _awful_. Suddenly, he realized something. "Where's Berg?"

"What?" James asked, confused.

"Berg- she followed us out here, and she said she was going to try to help, and ran into the Forest," Sirius explained. "I haven't seen her since."

"Why was she following us?" James questioned. Sirius shrugged in reply.

"Concerned, are you, boys?" Sasha's voice called out. James, Sirius and Snape whipped around and saw her walking calmly towards them, looking relatively unharmed except for a few gashes on her face. There was one gash in particular on her neck that was deep and dripping blood.

"What happened to you?" Sirius inquired, failing to hide his worry for the girl. "You just went into the Forest!"

Sasha shrugged. "I'm a total klutz; I tripped over a rock and cut my face on a tree. No big deal. How's Remus?" Sirius frowned at this response; for some reason, he had a gut feeling that Sasha wasn't telling the truth. _You can't get a cut that deep on your neck by tripping over a rock_, he thought, eyeing the cut with curiosity. _That's the kind of cut you get from an animal…_

"As good as can be expected right now," James answered, cutting off Sirius' train of thought momentarily.

"And Snape? What about you?" Sasha questioned, turning to face the Slytherin.

"Fine," Snape replied briefly, obviously reluctant to talk to Sasha. Catching onto this hint, she turned back to her fellow Gryffindors.

"Well, care to tell me how you two can hang out with a werewolf without getting killed?" She went to the point so quickly that she took the boys by surprise. Never before had Sasha been quite so… up front. They assumed it had something to do with her being annoyed and wanting answers (they were right).

"Care to tell us your secret?" Sirius retaliated. _And where you really got that cut, _he added mentally.

"Hell no," Sasha snorted.

"Well, if you won't tell us, then we won't tell you," Sirius spoke.

"Fine," Sasha said, unfazed, looking like she couldn't care less. Sirius cursed in his head; he had hoped that that bargain would make Sasha tell him her secret. Like the rest of his attempts, it hadn't worked.

"Students," the stern voice of Professor Dumbledore rang out over the grounds, and Sirius, James, Sasha and Snape turned to face their grim-faced Headmaster, accompanied by a nervous-looking Peter Pettigrew. "Come with me."

Professor Dumbledore didn't have to ask twice.

"Mr. Snape, I understand why you might feel that Mr. Lupin is dangerous- and indeed, once a month, at night, when all the other students _should _be asleep in bed, he is. Despite that, however, I have to ask you not to speak of his condition to anyone," Professor Dumbledore demanded.

"But, Sir-"

"No buts, Mr. Snape," the Headmaster cut off the Slytherin. "Mr. Lupin deserves an education here at Hogwarts just as much as every other young witch or wizard does. I will not let you ruin his life by telling others about his condition. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes, Professor."

"Are you going to tell anyone about Mr. Lupin's condition?"

After a moment, Snape reluctantly muttered, "No, Sir."

"Very good," Dumbledore nodded his head in approval. "You may go back to your common room now, Mr. Snape. And don't forget, you have detention every Saturday for the next three months." Snape merely nodded and hurriedly left the office. Dumbledore turned on the four Gryffindors and stared at each of them slowly, seeming to read their minds. He stared at Sasha especially long, and she stared determinedly back; it almost looked like they were having a conversation in their heads.

_But that's impossible, _Sirius told himself. _Then Berg would have to know Legilimency, and there's no way she can._

The Headmaster finally broke his gaze away from Sasha's, and said slowly, "I am very, very disappointed in you four." Peter, Sirius, Sasha and James look down at their feet in shame. "You are all intelligent, talented, capable young adults. I had thought that you were sensible enough not to deliberately go looking for a werewolf- even if that werewolf is your friend. You're been taught about werewolves in Defense Against the Dark Arts, so you know that, when they're transformed, werewolves have no qualms about killing people- even their friends."

"I'm sorry, Sir," Peter squeaked. "Please don't expel me."

Dumbledore gave a light chuckle. "Mr. Pettigrew, I do not plan on expelling any of you. What you did was foolish, yes, but in the best intentions, and was quite brave of you." The four Gryffindors beamed until the Headmaster continued, "But you will have detention every Sunday for the next four months."

"Why on Sunday, Professor?" Sirius wondered. "Sni- I mean, Snape, had his detentions scheduled on Saturdays."

"Your professors have learned by now, Mr. Potter, that putting you or your friends alone in the same room as Mr. Snape for any period of time results in disaster." Dumbledore's blue eyes twinkled.

"You know, Professor Dumbledore, if I were you, I'd think along the same lines for Sirius and Sasha," James laughed. "This is one of the few times they've been near each other without yelling at each other." James was right, in this respect; however, the two _were _sending murderous glares at each other out of the corners of their eyes.

Dumbledore turned to the two aforementioned teenagers. "Mr. Black. Miss Berg." Both Gryffindors' heads shot to face him instantly. "I have to request that you try your best to be civil to each other- at the very least- during your detentions together. You will, after all, be having them every week for the next four months."

"Why do we get more detentions than Snape, Professor?" Sasha moaned, clearly disgruntled.

"Mr. Snape went there once, and went there after being told how to." Sirius fidgeted uncomfortably in his seat. "Whereas you four went there on your own accord, and- I'm sure- went there more than once." His blue eyes twinkled in amusement as James and Peter joined Sirius in fidgeting uncomfortably in their seats.

"Now, off to bed, all of you," the Headmaster spoke kindly, "you have classes tomorrow, after all. Sasha- if you could wait behind a minute, please," he added as he saw Sasha standing up to leave. She sat back down with a sigh.

"Bye, Professor!" Peter exclaimed, rushing out of the room as fast as he could, obviously eager to get back to his bed. James followed, waving as he went, and Sirius went after him, glancing suspiciously at Sasha out of the corner of his eye as he went.

Closing the door to the Headmaster's office, Sirius was about to follow his two friends back to the Gryffindor common room when he heard Dumbledore saying something, and he couldn't resist to stay and put his ear against the door.

"That was risky of you, Sasha, extremely risky," Dumbledore was scolding. "Did anyone see you?"

"Not that I know of," Sasha replied. "Well, besides Remus, that is; but he won't remember in the morning, and if he does, he won't know who it was. I thought it through, believe it or not, Professor."

"I'm sure that you did, Sasha," Dumbledore sighed. "All the same, I cannot help but worry."

"I'm seventeen, Sir," Sasha laughed. "I can protect myself legally now."

"Ah, but you cannot use many of the things I have taught you," Dumbledore reminded her gently. "Otherwise, people would suspect something. Probably not the truth, admittedly, but something, all the same."

"I'll be more careful in the future, Professor, I swear," Sasha promised.

"That's good to hear. Go to bed now- you'll be exhausted in the morning as it is, I'm sure, and I don't want you to stay up any longer than you must."

"Thank you, Sir. Goodnight."

"Goodnight, Sasha."

This time, Sirius wasn't quick enough to jump away from the door as it opened. Sasha heard his grunt of pain and her narrowed eyes found him quickly.

"You really need to stop eavesdropping on me, Black," she spat.

"I'd stop if you told me your secret." Sirius tried bargaining again.

Sasha's glare only turned fiercer. "Leave the matter _alone_, Black. For both of our own goods."

"I'm afraid I can't do that, Berg," Sirius responded. "I'm a curious, determined person by nature."

"You're also an arrogant, pigheaded, stupid person by nature," Sasha retorted. "If you're not going to take my advice, then fine; but I can guarantee that one day you'll wish you had never pursued the matter at all."

"Will you tell me how you _really _got that cut, then?" Sirius asked abruptly, his eyes darting to the red line on Sasha's neck.

"I told you, I tripped on a rock-"

"You can't get a cut like that from tripping on a rock and hitting a tree," Sirius reasoned. "You're lying, Berg. And I know it. That cut was made by an animal of some kind, and-" He stopped suddenly, and his eyes widened as he surveyed Sasha from head to toe. His eyes stared into hers, and he had a sudden revelation:

Her eyes were the exact same brown as the wolf's eyes.

And her hair and the wolf's fur had the exact same coloring.

And she had a gash on her neck in the exact place Remus had slashed her.

Sasha seemed to realize what Sirius was thinking, and her eyes widened as well, and then narrowed. She stepped closer to Sirius until he could have heard anything she said no matter how quietly she said it.

"You. Tell. _No one_," she hissed murderously. "_No one_. Got that?" Not waiting for a reply, she strode down the stairs and to the Gryffindor common room.

After a moment, Sirius followed, even more determined than he had been before to find out what exactly Sasha Berg was hiding.

_**Okay, I have to say, I LOVE this chapter, I just do. But, anyways, more importantly: What do YOU think? Please tell me in a review!**_

**_Speaking of reviews..._**

**_THANK YOU ALL SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO MUCH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I GOT 15 REVIEWS FOR THE LAST CHAPTER, AND NOW HAVE 213 REVIEWS TOTAL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!_**

**_And I have to give a special shout-out to PurpleMonkeyDishwashers, you gave me SEVEN reviews!!!!!!!! Thanks a bundle!_**

**_Thanks for reading, and again, please review!_**

**_-Joelle8_**


	27. In Which Sirius Makes a Discovery

In Which Sirius Finds Something Out

"I can't _believe _you!" Remus hissed at Sirius in the Gryffindor common room. Sirius- after a week's worth of prodding- had just confessed that he had told Snape how to get into the Whomping Willow. Remus, as expected, was absolutely _furious_. "I could've hurt him, Sirius! I don't like him either, but I don't what to hurt him, or anyone else for that matter!"

"I know that, Remus!" Sirius retorted. "It was a mistake! He tricked me into telling him, I swear; I didn't mean to!" _It seems like nobody ever believes me when I say that, _he thought desolately.

"That doesn't make what you did any less wrong," Remus glared at him fiercely.

"I know it doesn't, Remus. I'm so, so sorry. Please, please, _please _forgive me. I'll do anything to make it up to you!" Sirius pleaded. His usually happy, confident grey eyes were sorrowful and wet with unshed tears.

Remus just stared at his friend. He knew Sirius was sorry; but that didn't make him any less angry. If, as a werewolf, Remus had hurt anybody, he would've had to leave Hogwarts. He couldn't do that; he wouldn't.

Eventually, Sirius' sad eyes got to Remus, and he sighed, "I'm still angry at you, Sirius. And I'm sure I will be, for a long time. But… I forgive you."

Sirius smiled shakily. "Thanks, Remus." After an awkward pause, he added, "How long do you think you'll be mad at me?"

"I don't know, Sirius."

"What can you do to make it up to you? To make you less mad at me?"

Remus thought for a moment, and then admitted, "I don't know, Sirius. I honestly don't. I think that it's best if we just wait this one out, and when I'm not mad at you anymore… I'll tell you."

Sirius nodded his compliance with this slowly, sadly. "If that's what you want, Remus. What about James and Peter, though?"

"They can still be both of our friends. I don't see anything wrong with that."

_Maybe they'll even help convince Remus to stop being mad at me, _Sirius hoped internally. Out loud, he said, "That works. I guess we should go to class now; it starts in five minutes."

"Good call," Remus replied, and walked out of the common room without looking back once.

Sirius wiped the tears out of his eyes and off his face and followed Remus. He couldn't have people thinking the great Sirius Black _cried_, after all.

A month had passed since Remus and Sirius' conversation, and Remus still hadn't stopped being mad at Sirius. James and Peter were also angry at Sirius, and, as a result, were almost always hanging out with Remus, and rarely ever Sirius. In fact, they hadn't even included Sirius in James' and Remus' seventeenth birthday celebrations; even though Sirius had sent the both of them presents. That month was the worst of Sirius' young life: he was so alone. He hated it.

The one time when he didn't feel completely alone was during his weekly detentions with James, Peter and Sasha. As per usual, Sasha would always argue with him over something; and often, James and Peter would loyally take Sirius' side. Oddly, Sirius found himself being thankful for Sasha; he also found himself thinking about her more often. Almost always, he would be musing about what her big secret could possibly be, how he could figure it out, and what Dumbledore was teaching her; but a few times, he found himself thinking about _her_. Just… her. Her wit, her intelligence, her kindness (to almost everyone but him), her smile, her laugh, her _beauty_. He had, by this point, admitted- but only to himself- that Sasha was, indeed, beautiful.

So, when Sunday came around, Sirius was practically skipping to Professor McGonagall's office. The four students were going to clean her office, maybe grade some papers; and, if Sirius had it his way, _change _some grades.

When he arrived at the office, Sasha, James, Peter and Professor McGonagall were already there, waiting for him. "Nice of you to join us, Mr. Black," McGonagall greeted.

"Hello, Minnie!" Sirius replied, faking cheeriness. He saw James and Peter bite their lips to keep from laughing, while Sasha just rolled her eyes; his grin grew broader.

"_Professor McGonagall_, to you, Black," the Transfiguration professor corrected stonily. "Now, you four will clean my office, and, if you have extra time, grade the papers on my desk. I'll come back in an hour, and if anything looks out of order, I _will _give you another detention. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes, Professor," James, Sasha, Sirius and Peter replied unanimously.

"Good. Now, if you would please give me your wands." The Deputy Headmistress held out her hand expectantly, and the four students reluctantly placed their wands in it (Sirius winking as he did so). "Thank you. Good luck," McGonagall spoke, and then walked out the door (locking it behind her) and went to who-knows-where.

"Well, we might as well get started," Sasha sighed. A bark came from a pocket in her robes, and she pulled out Zevi. "I know, Zevi, I don't want to clean either, but we have to," she told the miniature wolf. Noticing the three boys staring at her strangely, she asked, "What?"

"You're talking to your pet like it can actually understand you," James answered.

"Your point?" She raised an eyebrow, daring them to say she was crazy.

Sirius took the silent dare immediately. "You're crazy," he declared. Even though he thought it was quite likely that Zevi could understand Sasha since, really, she was a wolf, too.

Sasha glared at him. "I know you are, but what am I?"

Sirius gave a start as James and Peter snickered under their breaths. "Wait, what?"

"I know you are, but what am I?"

"Crazy. You're crazy," Sirius repeated.

"I know you are, but what am I?"

Sirius continued to look at Sasha strangely. Her smirk was comparable to that of Lucius Malfoy's, and it was obvious she knew she was outwitting him. He knew it, too. "I'm confused…" he said eventually.

"I know you are," Sasha replied, suppressing laughter. James and Peter were less successful at this. "But, I'm not. So, I'm going to clean, and I suggest you do the same so you don't get _another _detention, Black. Merlin knows you already have the highest detention record the school's ever seen." Sasha walked over to the pile of cleaning supplies on McGonagall's desk, picked up a duster, and began dusting the desks. James and Peter began cleaning the floors, and Sirius decided to dust off the Transfiguration professor's bookshelf. He was doing so when a red book caught his eye. He took it off the shelf, and read off the cover, Godric Gryffindor: The Complete History. Remembering how oddly Sasha had acted when her cousin had spoken to the class about Godric Gryffindor, Sirius opened the book curiously.

Skimming through the Table of Contents, he saw a chapter titled, "Paintings, Portraits and Pictures- page 184." Sirius flipped to page 184, and was greeted with a painting of Godric Gryffindor that took up the whole page. The bravest of Hogwarts' four founders was, admittedly, a handsome bloke. He had a wide, warm smile, as well as shoulder-length, wild red hair. His eyes were the most unusual shade of green Sirius had ever laid eyes on: while they were very clearly green, they had definite hints of yellow, and resembled cat eyes. Just as Amelia Lovegood had told the class, his hair was a brick red shade; for some reason, Sirius thought he had seen that hair color somewhere else. He looked at all the other portraits of Godric Gryffindor; he looked the same in all of them.

Each time Sirius looked at a picture of the founder, he felt that the man's hair and smile was more and more familiar. _Where have I seen that hair color before? _He asked himself. _And I recognize his smile, too… but from where? _

Deciding he was tired of looking at pictures of Godric Gryffindor, Sirius flipped to a random page in the book. At the top of the page, the words "Power and Abilities" were written. _This could be interesting, _Sirius thought, and began reading:

_**Godric Gryffindor was one of the most skilled wizards of his time; another was his fellow Founder of Hogwarts, Salazar Slytherin. Gryffindor was so skilled that at a very young age, he was able to do magic far beyond that of his peers. He also had the ability to do magic besides that of regular wizarding magic; he was able to wield the four elements: fire, earth, water and air. Records have been found stating that Gryffindor could control any one of the four elements' actions without making a single movement. **_

_**In addition to this extraordinary skill, Gryffindor could cast spells without a wand and without saying a spell at all, so great was his power. A scroll found by goblins in 1752 describes this in more detail. It is paraphrased below:**_

**Godric Gryffindor's hands were by his side, empty, as he spoke to Rowena Ravenclaw. His eyes looked straight at the witch; he was completely engrossed in the conversation. Suddenly, a rope speedily stretched across the hall from out of nowhere, tripping the passing Salazar Slytherin. Slytherin stood up and called to Gryffindor, "Ah, my mischievous friend, why must I always be the target of your tricks?"**

**"Because I cannot trick a lady, nor can I trick a student," Gryffindor replied good-naturedly. "That leaves only you, Salazar."**

**"Can you at least say your spells out loud then, Godric?" Slytherin smiled back. "Instead of using your mind only? It is not fair to use what gifts you have that I do not against me. Do I use my Parseltongue against you?"**

**"You have a point there, my friend," Gryffindor laughed. "Alright, I will say my spells out loud in the future."**

_**This document suggests that each Founder had a gift that no other Founder had. We are unsure what Helga Hufflepuff's and Rowena Ravenclaw's gifts were, but from this document, we know that Slytherin's was Parseltongue- the ability to speak to snakes- and Gryffindor's was doing magic without showing any sign of doing it. **_

_**Gryffindor could have very well had powers and abilities beyond those which we know. The only way we would know every ability Gryffindor had would be if he had a descendant, who would have inherited his abilities. Unfortunately, it is unknown whether or not Gryffindor has any descendants.**_

"What are you doing?" Sirius closed the book abruptly as he heard Sasha walking over to him. She came up next to him and scolded him. "You're _supposed _to be cleaning, Black. You can read another time. Besides, I'm sure McGonagall wouldn't want you reading her books without her permission."

"Oh, Minnie won't mind," Sirius insisted, grinning. "She secretly loves me."

Sasha rolled her eyes. "Sure she does, Black, sure she does. Just put the book back and get cleaning, okay? We only have half an hour left until McGonagall comes back, and you have yet to clean the bookshelf!"

"I'm surprised at you, Berg. Aren't you always telling me I should use my 'peanut of a brain and start reading instead of womanizing innocent girls'? Why the sudden change of heart?" Usually, Sirius wouldn't start an argument about something as unimportant as this; but he felt he was on to something, and he wasn't about to lose his only lead. Besides, arguing with Sasha just got more and more fun over time.

Sasha glared at him. "I'm not saying you shouldn't stop being a man whore, Black, and that reading's not good and all. But you have to do your fair share of the work, instead of being your usual lazy arse self."

"Hey! I'm not lazy!" Sirius protested loudly.

"Denial is the first step to acceptance," Sasha replied.

"Yeah! That's how I know Lily secretly loves me!" James interjected, hearing the conversation and walking over in interest. Peter, ever the loyal follower, trailed after him.

"Potter, Pettigrew; I take it you're done washing the floors?" Sasha asked.

"Yeah," Peter answered. "We also organized the papers on McGonagall's desk. They're in two piles now: 'Graded' and 'Not Graded'."

"Wow. Good job!" Sasha complimented, sounding surprised. She strode to the desk and looked it over; the papers were, indeed, organized perfectly.

"Damn, James, Peter; I didn't know you two were that good at housework!" Sirius exclaimed, also surprised.

"Sirius, you know that my mum is constantly making my do chores the Muggle way," James reminded him. "Hell, she made you do them, too!"

Sirius laughed at the memory. "Oh, yeah… remember that one time, we were cleaning the kitchen, and all the flour packages fell on me?"

James chuckled. "How could I forget? Your whole body was white! You looked like a snowman! Good times, good times…"

"We've had a lot of those, haven't we," Sirius sighed quietly.

"Yeah, we have," James agreed solemnly. After a tense silence, he told Sirius, "Listen… I miss not hanging out. As friends."

"Me too," Sirius smiled. "So… does that mean you forgive me? Can we be friends again?"

"Not friends. _Best _friends," James corrected, grinning, and Sirius beamed. In an action that he was sure looked extremely girly, he wrapped his best friend in a hug. Sirius felt Peter join the hug, and wrapped an arm around his shorter friend.

"I'm so, so sorry, guys," Sirius apologized yet again. "Thank you. For being my friends again. This past month has been bloody murder."

"We haven't much liked it either," James admitted, releasing himself from the giant hug. Peter and Sirius followed suit. "The Marauders aren't whole without you, Padfoot."

Sirius' smiled grew even broader, if that was at all possible. Suddenly, he remembered something; or, more specifically, some_one_. "Do you think Remus will forgive me?" He asked his two friends.

"Beats me," Peter shrugged. "I mean, he's _forgiven _you, but I'm not sure how soon he'll want to be your friend again."

Sirius' face fell, and Sasha chose that moment to proclaim, "I hate to break up this moment of yours, but we have cleaning and grading to do. Not to mention only about twenty minutes to do it now."

"Right. I'll start grading; I'm good at Transfiguration. Peter can help me," James said, and the two went to McGonagall's desk.

Sasha turned to Sirius and inquired impatiently, "Well? Are you going to start cleaning that bookshelf or not?"

"Not," Sirius grinned.

Sasha glared at him. "Yes you are."

"Nope."

"Yes."

"I don't think so."

"I _do _think so."

"No you don't."

"Yes I do."

"No."

"Yep."

"Nuh-uh."

"Uh-huh."

"Shut it!" James interjected. "Merlin, do you two always have to go at each other? You bicker like an old married couple!"

Sasha snorted. "Us? _Married_? That'll happen when hell freezes over."

"For once, I agree with you, Berg," Sirius chortled. "Like I'd ever fall for _you_." For some reason, a gut feeling told him that this wasn't entirely true, not in the least bit; but he ignored it. He also ignored James and Peter when he heard them chortling at this remark.

To Sirius' surprise, Sasha laughed, "Yeah, I can't really picture it." As a result of her laugh, she was actually _smiling _at Sirius.

Suddenly, Sirius realized why he had recognized Godric Gryffindor's smile. And his hair color.

Sasha had the same smile. And her hair color- the ends of it, at least- were exactly the same shade of brick red. _But what could it mean? _Sirius wondered.

Unexpectedly, Sasha's smile slid off her face, and was replaced with paleness and a look of utter fear. It was almost as if she had read Sirius' mind, and hadn't liked what she had seen there.

"What?" Sirius asked her in confusion.

"Nothing," Sasha replied, "nothing." But her face was still pale and worried, and it was all too obvious that she was lying. "What's that book?" She pointed to the book still in Sirius' hands.

"Godric Gryffindor: The Complete History," Sirius told her, handing the book to her. Sasha took the book and flipped through it; Sirius was sure he could hear her muttering, "Not good. _So _not good," under her breath as she did so.

Just then, Professor McGonagall walked in. "Not bad," she observed the room, satisfied. She handed each Gryffindor their wand and said, "You may go now." Peter, Sasha, James and Sirius were gone in a flash.

"Berg!" Sirius hissed, and pulled the girl aside before she could go up to her dormitory as James and Peter had already done. They were the only two people in the common room.

"What do you want, Black?" Sasha snapped.

"You look like him," Sirius said.

"Like who? My dad? Yeah, I know, I've been told a thousand times. Can I go now?"

"No, _not _your dad; though you do," Sirius spoke. "You look like Godric Gryffindor."

Sasha laughed- a little too loudly, a little too shakily. "Why would you say that? He has red hair and green eyes; I have dark, mostly black, hair and brown eyes. If he looks like anyone, it's Lily."

Sirius shook his head slowly. "His eyes were a different green than Lily's, and his hair wasn't the same shade of red as hers. Gryffindor's hair was a brick red: the exact same color as the ends of your hair."

Sasha gave that obviously fake laugh again. "It's not too uncommon of a color, Black. Other people have red hair."

"No one else has _that _shade of red hair, though," Sirius insisted. "You have the same smile as him, too."

"Now you really must be imagining things, Black," Sasha insisted.

"No, I'm not," Sirius spoke solemnly, gazing at Sasha intensely, trying to read her poker face. He took a step closer to her. "I've figured out something, Berg."

"Oh yeah? What's that?"

"Your secret has something to do with Godric Gryffindor," Sirius responded, and took Sasha's pale skin and frenzied eyes as confirmation. "I don't know what, exactly; but I know I'll figure it out soon."

Sasha stammered, "Y-you're wrong," in one last attempt to convince Sirius that her secret did not, in fact, have something to do with Godric Gryffindor. _Please don't let him figure it out, _she pleaded in her head.

"Then why are you stuttering?" Sirius retorted. For no real reason, he took another step closer to Sasha. They were so close now that he could feel her breath as she looked up at him, and smell her vanilla scented hair. He felt a sudden, strange urge to lean down the tiniest bit so that their lips met, but he repressed this odd urge. "I'm right, in this case, Berg. I know it. The library should have some files somewhere that'll tell me what I need to know…"

"What can I do to get you to forget about it?" Sasha interjected. "I'll do anything. Just, please- forget about this. Forget about my secret, and Godric Gryffindor, and all of that. Don't go looking for answers, don't try to figure anything more out. Don't tell anyone what you know. Please. What can I do?"

Sirius thought for a moment about this proposition and then decided, "Get Remus to be my friend again. If he'll listen to anyone, it's you."

"Deal," Sasha agreed automatically. "And in return, you won't try to figure out anything else about me and my secret. And, most importantly, you won't tell anyone about what you know."

"And what if I_ do_ keep doing research, and maybe let something slip?" Sirius asked, partially out of curiosity, partially to annoy his enemy.

Sasha smiled sweetly- the first sign of warning- and stood on her tiptoes. Her breath was warm against Sirius' neck, and he felt himself enjoying it, enjoying how close she was to him, enjoying how if he were just to lean down the slightest bit then he'd be able to kiss her…

"Then I'd have to kill you," Sasha whispered into Sirius' ear, so close to him that her lips lightly brushed his earlobe, sending an involuntary shiver down his spine. Sasha stepped back (to Sirius' disappointment), smirked at him, and then pranced up to her dormitory.

Sirius remained standing there. _What the HELL was that?! _He questioned himself, remembering how… _turned on _Sasha had made him.

_Calm down, Sirius, _he told himself. _She's a girl. A hot one at that. It's perfectly normal for hot girls to turn you on._

_Yeah, but not Berg! _Sirius retorted. _I'm not supposed to be attracted to my enemy! Damn it, why does she have to be so fucking sexy?! _Shaking his head at himself, Sirius went up to his dormitory.

He couldn't stop thinking of Sasha for the whole night.

_**Personally, I don't think this is my best chapter. However, I must admit, I DO like the fact that Sirius is FINALLY starting to figure it out. That he has feelings for Sasha (even if they're just attraction as of right now), I mean. It took him long enough, don't you think? ;)**_

**_Thanks for reading! Please, please, PLEASE review!_**

**_-Joelle8_**


	28. In Which Remus Forgives

In Which Remus Forgives

"Hey, Remus… can I talk to you?" Sasha requested quietly, sitting down next to her friend in the library. It had been a few days since she and Sirius had made their deal, and she had yet to carry out her end of it.

"Of course, Sasha," Remus smiled, closing his book. "What's up?"

"Well, I wanted to talk to you about Black."

"Oh," was all Remus said, though his face contorted into an expression of conflicting anger and sadness. "What about Sirius?"

"I think you should go back to being his friend," Sasha blurted.

"And why is that?"

"Because he's really, really, _really _sorry. You should see him- all he does is mope around. It's pathetic, really. But, back to the point: you miss being his friend, too. I know you do, I can tell," Sasha answered.

Remus sighed. "I do miss being his friend. But, Sister… I'm not sure if I can trust him after this. I mean, if he let it slip once, he could let it- or something worse- slip again!"

"People learn from their mistakes, Brother," Sasha reminded her friend. "And Black's was a big one. So, if you think about it, that means he'll learn the most from it, right? Please, just… give him another chance."

"Why do you care so much about Sirius, Sasha?" Remus asked suddenly, startling Sasha.

Sasha shrugged, determined not to reveal that she was only doing this because she had made a deal with her enemy; or that she _did _feel bad for Sirius, and she did want him to be part of the Marauders again. She hated to admit it, but she missed his smile. His beautiful smile… _Bad! BAD SASHA! Bad, Bad, BAD Sasha! You do not think those things about Si- Black! _She scolded herself instantly. _Bloody hell, I almost just called him Siriu-_

"Maybe you have a point," Remus relented, taking Sasha out of her thoughts. "Okay, I'll talk to him later."

Sasha grinned. "Good to hear. See you, Remus." Waving to her almost-brother, she stood up and cheerily walked out of the library.

As she walked to the Gryffindor common room, she couldn't help but replay what had happened between her and Sirius when they had made their deal. Technically, she hadn't _had _to lean so close to him, to let her lips touch his ear; but she had wondered if her skillful seduction techniques would have worked on even the Womanizing Sirius Black. She had been right; he had been frozen in place, and she had felt his shiver.

Besides that, the naughty part of Sasha honestly _did _find Sirius Black attractive. Extremely so, in fact. His good looks appeared effortless; the way his thick, soft black hair fell across his stormy, intriguing grey eyes that lit up when he smiled his gorgeous smile or laughed his hearty laugh…

_Whoa. Hold up, _Sasha caught herself. _Was I just- dare I say it- _daydreaming _about _Sirius Black_?! That is NOT possible. _She shook her head, shaking the unwelcome thoughts out of it. Just for good measure, she hit her head against the wall (not _too _hard). Unfortunately, the thoughts remained.

_I just find him good looking, _Sasha assured herself. _That's all. It's not unheard of; even _Delilah _admitted once that she thought he was far from ugly. Yeah. It's natural for me to think he's good looking. No big deal. _Having sufficiently made herself feel better, Sasha was able to not think any good things about her enemy for the rest of her walk to Gryffindor Tower.

"Oi! Sirius!" Remus called to his fellow Gryffindor that night as he saw him walking to the Tower. Sirius spun around and smiled unsurely.

"Hey, Remus," he greeted, sounding slightly anxious.

"Listen… I've been thinking lately, and, well… I'm not mad at you anymore," Remus told him. "So, can we be friends again?"

"Friends _forever_," Sirius corrected, clapping the werewolf on the back and enveloping him into an infamous bro-hug.

Remus blinked before laughing, "That sounded like _such _a chick line, Padfoot."

"Yeah, it did," Sirius agreed, chuckling and letting go. "So… what made you stop being mad at me?"

"Sasha convinced me," Remus said. "I don't know why, but I'm pretty sure you owe her, mate."

"Yeah; I'll thank her later," Sirius declared.

"Hey… is there anything going on between you two?" Remus asked out of the blue.

"What do you mean?" Sirius questioned, startled. _What in the name of Merlin could make him think _that_? _He wondered.

"I dunno," Remus shrugged. "It just seemed like you guys saw each other a bit differently, that's all. I guess I was wrong."

"Yeah," Sirius laughed shakily. In truth, he _was _starting to see Sasha a bit differently, as Remus had so eloquently put it. He still hated her (though he had to convince himself of that every day), but he had admitted to himself that not only was she extremely gorgeous, he was _attracted_ to her as well. Plus, through watching her (yes, Sirius Black had been staring at Sasha Berg; he had been doing it so frequently that he was surprised she hadn't noticed yet), he had realized that to everyone but him, she was an honest-to-Merlin genuinely good person.

Remus raised an eyebrow skeptically. "You know, I can tell when you're lying, right?"

"I'm not lying!" Sirius claimed quickly. "What would make you think that?"

"You're talking to fast, and your voice is too shaky," Remus answered. "C'mon, tell me. What's going on between you and Sasha?"

For a moment, Sirius debated whether or not he should tell his friend the truth. Then he inquired, "You won't tell her, right?"

"Of course not! I promise."

"Okay. Well, then…" Sirius looked around, making sure nobody would overhear him, and murmured, "I think she's… attractive."

"That's it? What's the big deal?" Remus chortled.

"'What's the big deal,' Moony?! The big deal is that she's _Berg_! I'm supposed to hate her, not think she's hot!" Sirius exclaimed quietly.

"You can hate her but still think she's attractive," Remus pointed out.

"I guess," Sirius admitted, "but it just feels so… weird. You know? I mean, all these years, I've thought she was Satan's daughter, but it's so hard to think that when she's so damn hot!"

"I'd appreciate it if you didn't call her Satan's daughter around me, Sirius," Remus said coolly. "It's fine with me if you hate her, but she's like a sister to me. Besides, her dad was a really good bloke."

"Yeah, she'd probably hex me all the way to the States if I said that in front of her, wouldn't she?" Sirius mused, chuckling.

"Yes, she most definitely would," Remus agreed. Just then, the two friends realized they had arrived at the Gryffindor common room. "Pig's tails," Remus told the Fat Lady, and she let them in.

"We need to have a Marauders' night soon," Sirius said thoughtfully. "To celebrate our reunited friendship. I've come up with some great pranks in my free time. Filch won't know what hit him." Remus laughed at this, and walked up the stairs to the Sixth Year Boys' dormitory. Sirius was about to follow when someone cleared their throat behind him, clearly wanting him to turn around. He did so, and saw Sasha.

"I kept my end of the bargain," Sasha pointed out, her hands on her curvy hips. "You remember to keep yours."

Sirius couldn't help grinning broadly as he replied, "And how will you know whether or not I do?"

"I have my ways," Sasha smirked mischievously.

"And those ways would be?"

"Oh, if you don't follow your end of the bargain, you'll see. I'd rather not spoil the surprise."

"How am I supposed to know whether or not you really have your ways if you don't tell me what those ways are?"

Sasha walked closer to Sirius, filling him with memories of the previous night. She asked him quietly, smiling sweetly all the while, "Did you forget what I told you the other night?" Sirius faintly shook his head; he clearly remembered being told that if he didn't keep his end of the bargain, then Sasha would have to kill him. "Good," Sasha continued, "because that still stands." She turned around on her heel, and her hair flew out behind her, lightly caressing Sirius' face. He balled his hands into fists so he wouldn't reach out and grab the soft hair that he knew would feel so good if he ran it through his fingers.

Life at Hogwarts was monotonous until Sunday, June 22. That day, Sasha was nowhere to be seen; according to her friends, she hadn't been in bed when they had woken up that morning. Needless to say, all of the Sixth Year Gryffindors were worried.

"She was back to normal!" Delilah exclaimed after searching for Sasha for three hours to no avail. "Nobody could tell anything was wrong!"

"This certainly put a damper on the day," Frank mumbled.

"Think, everyone: what's so different about today?" Lily asked. The Gryffindors were silent; none of them could think of anything.

"How about we search the dormitory and see if we can find anything saying where she may have gone?" Mary suggested.

"Good idea, Mary. And no, boys, you can't come," Alice looked at the boys pointedly, and they shrunk back, grumbling about the "injustice of it all" under their breaths. Ignoring this, the girls ran up to their dorm.

The girls looked for about an hour before Lily sighed, "This is hopeless. Everything's as messy as usual!"

"Um, Lily, I know this isn't really a time to joke around, but you are _not _one to talk about other people being messy," Alice laughed. Lily glared at her, effectively shutting her up.

Mary collapsed on her own bed in defeat and abruptly jumped up with a high-pitched "Ouch!" Turning around, she saw she had accidentally sat on something; it was a perfectly wrapped, pointy present. After a moment, she realized that it was the Wizarding pin set she had gotten for her pin-collecting dad…

…for _Father's Day._

"Um, girls?" She spoke up, and Delilah, Alice and Lily turned to face her. "It's Father's Day."

"Ohhh," the girls instantly groaned in understanding.

"No wonder she went off somewhere," Delilah mumbled.

"C'mon, let's go tell the blokes what we found out," Lily suggested, and the four girls trotted back down to the Gryffindor common room.

"Find anything?" Sirius asked as soon as he saw the girls. Like he had been before, he was equally as concerned for Sasha as even Remus was.

"It's Father's Day," Delilah told them. Their mouths formed perfect O's, and they slapped their foreheads, cursing their own obliviousness.

"Oh no," Remus' eyes widened, suddenly remembering something. At his friends' questioning stares, he explained, "June 22 is- was- her dad's birthday, too."

"Poor Sasha," Lily gasped.

"You don't think she… you know…" Peter interjected nervously.

"What, Peter?" James urged his friend to continue speaking.

"Well… you don't think she… like… killed herself or anything, do you?" Peter squeaked. His companions paled; that possibility had not occurred to them before, and yet, it was most definitely a possibility.

"Let's split up to look for her again," James suggested, frightened by the terrified look on Lily's face. He hated when she looked that scared- it made him scared, too. "Let's just… go to different places in the castle, and see if we can find her."

"Good idea," Sirius nodded absently, about twenty shades paler than usual, his heart thumping rapidly in this chest out of sheer terror, and the nine Gryffindors went to different areas of the castle.

Sirius had been searching the castle by himself for over an hour, and was starting to give up hope of ever finding Sasha. He was getting more and more worried by the minute.

He found himself in a seventh floor corridor, one he usually tried to avoid due to the rather disturbing portrait of Barnabas the Barmy attempting to teach trolls to do ballet in it. He couldn't get Sasha out of his mind; he needed to find her. He didn't know why, but he just… needed to.

_For Remus, _he convinced himself. _I'm finding her for Remus. All the same, I need to find her… I really need to find her… please, Merlin, God, whoever, help me find her…_

Suddenly, from across the hall from Barnabas the Barmy, a crack appeared in the wall. Sirius turned to face it in wonder as the crack transformed into a full-blown door. He stepped towards it cautiously, and silently opened it, curiosity overwhelming him. There, in the center of the room, was Sasha, sitting on a comfortable looking emerald loveseat with a mug of hot cocoa in front of what looked like a Muggle television (Sirius recognized it from his Muggle Studies class), tears streaming quietly down her face.

"Berg!" Sirius exclaimed, unable to keep the relief out of his voice. "We've been looking for you all day!"

"Well, I've been here all day," Sasha sniffed, not looking at him.

"Can I… erm… you know, come in?" Sirius requested.

"Sure," Sasha shrugged. Her sadness had somewhat mellowed her. A seat appeared next to hers and she gestured to it. "Take a seat."

"How'd that appear all of the sudden?" Sirius inquired wondrously, taking a seat. The door shut behind him, and somehow he knew that nobody would find the two of them.

"I wanted another chair to appear," Sasha spoke. "This is the Room of Requirement, Black. It provides almost anything you ask for."

"Almost?"

"Well, it can't bring back the dead, of course, or anything miraculous like that; I'd know, I've tried. It also can't do anything against Gamp's Law of Elemental Transfiguration, either."

"What are you doing in here, anyways?" Sirius questioned curiously, looking at the television screen. Instead of any show or program, there were just picture after picture; he saw that they were all of Sasha's father, many including her as well.

"Reminiscing," Sasha answered softly, taking a sip of her cocoa. "I had some great times with my daddy- I thought I'd try to replay them best I could, seeing as it's Father's Day, and his birthday… He was supposed to turn sixty-four, you know, he was so excited. 'Just like the Beatles' song', he would always say. 'We'll sing that song on my birthday, Sashi,' he promised me. He promised…" she trailed off, choking back a sob. A box of tissues appeared next to her, and she picked one out and blew into it loudly, then threw it into the trash can that appeared next to her.

"Oh," was all Sirius said in reply. What he did was completely unexpected, to both him and Sasha. He didn't even mean to do it- it just… came out.

He started singing.

"When I get older, losing my hair," he began, terribly out of tune as usual, "many years from now. Will you still be sending me a Valentine? Birthday greetings? Bottle of wine?"

Sasha recovered from her initial shock and, with a watery smile, sang, just as out of tune as Sirius. "If I'd been out till quarter to three, would you lock the door? Will you still need me, will you still feed me, when I'm sixty-four?"

Sasha joined in, and the two sang together now, grinning despite themselves, "You'll be older, too, and if you say the word, I could stay with you."

"I could be handy, mending a fuse, when your lights have gone. You can knit a sweater by the fireside," Sirius sang.

"Sunday morning, go for a ride," Sasha continued.

Sirius sang with her again, "Doing the garden, digging the weeds, who could ask for more? Will you still need me, will you still feed me, when I'm sixty-four? Every summer we can rent a cottage in the Isle of Wight, if it's not too dear. We shall scrimp and save, grandchildren on your knee: Vera, Chuck, and Dave."

By himself, Sirius went on, "Send me a postcard, drop me a line, stating point of view. Indicate precisely what you mean to say: Yours, Sincerely, Wasting away."

"Give me an answer, fill in a form, mine forevermore," Sasha sang, and then, for the last line, Sirius sang with her:

"Will you still need me, will you still feed me, when I'm sixty-four?"

The silence that followed was comfortable, rather than awkward as it usually was. Sasha found that her tears had dried, and she was unable to get rid of the smile on her face.

"So, when should I tell the others you'll be back?" Sirius asked finally, blushing beet red out of embarrassment, but smiling nonetheless.

"I dunno," Sasha shrugged. "Sometimes before curfew."

"Got it," Sirius responded, and stood out of the chair, which instantly disappeared. He was opening the door when he heard Sasha call out, telling him to wait. "Yeah?" He questioned, turning his head around to face her.

"Thanks," she grinned.

"No problem," Sirius replied. "Don't get used to it, though, Berg. I still hate you- I'm just helping you out because I'm-"

"Not heartless, yeah, you told me last time," Sasha interrupted. "In any case, thanks."

"You're welcome," Sirius responded, and left the Room of Requirement.

He passed Sasha's message- that she'd be back by curfew- to his fellow Sixth Year Gryffindors, who were all so relieved that they didn't bother to badger Sirius about why he didn't bring her back, or where he had found her.

When Sasha returned to the Gryffindor common room three minutes before curfew, she acted as if Sirius and her hadn't behaved civilly- even _friendly_- to each other that day. Sirius couldn't be happier.

Hating Sasha was, after all, his favorite hobby.

The rest of the school year breezed by. The Marauders, to Filch's dismay, had done more pranks than ever before in the months following their reuniting. Remus never gathered the courage to ask Mary out; though it grew more and more obvious that he liked her, and that Mary liked him back. Of course, everyone _except _for Mary and Remus could see this. Typical.

Alice and Frank's relationship flourished. They truly were soul mates, it seemed; they had different interests, but never fought about anything besides petty matters (such as, "It's not _fellytone_, it's _tellytone_!"). Both Gryffindors were clearly in bliss, and their friends couldn't be happier.

Delilah and Dexter were also a very happy couple. They were extremely casual, almost never displaying affection publicly; and if you didn't look closely, they might just look like good friends. But if you _did _look closely, you'd see the sweet looks they gave each other, how each smiled more when the other was around, and their constantly touching hands. Yes, Delilah and Dexter were doing very well by the time summer came around; and planned on hanging out together the whole summer. Both were very excited.

James had been following Sasha's tips on how to win Lily's heart much more ever since Lily's birthday disaster. Surprisingly, they seemed to be working; Lily saw James as much more mature, and even pleasant to talk to occasionally. The two rarely argued anymore, and when they did, there was very little yelling. It was clear that James was overjoyed by this success, and though Lily didn't seem to notice it, she herself was smiling more often, and looking in James' direction more often, too.

Peter spent quite a lot of time with Mallory Goyle, his now-official girlfriend. The two seemed very happy together. Sometimes his friends worried about him; Mallory was known to hang out with Slytherins like Mulciber, Avery and Snape. But she made Peter very happy, so, for his sake, his fellow Marauders decided to let him be. They trusted him; they doubted that Peter would be persuaded to engage in any Dark Arts. He was too… well… _Peter _to do such a thing.

Sirius and Sasha's feelings for each other didn't change. After arguing even more than they had _before _they had decided the other was attractive, it was much easier to tell themselves that they hated each other. In fact, by the time they boarded the Hogwarts Express, it was no longer a lie, to both of their delights. Sasha still found Sirius an arrogant arse that used woman just for their bodies; Sirius still found Sasha a stuck-up know-it-all. All was right with the world.

This didn't stop Sirius from being concerned when, after saying goodbye to Remus and Peter, he saw Sasha get off the Hogwarts Express and onto Platform 9 ¾ and be greeted by nobody. Her friends were huddled around her, and, walking closer to the group, he heard Sasha assuring them, "Don't worry, I'll be fine. Feel free to drop in sometime, though; I'd love the company."

"Are you sure, Sasha?" Alice asked worriedly. "You could always come to my place."

"I'm sure my parents would be happy to have you stay with us, too," Lily offered.

"Yeah; my parents love having you over," Delilah remarked.

"Mine, too. You're welcome to stay with us, if you want," Mary said quietly.

"It's alright," Sasha told her friends. "I appreciate the offers, I really do; but Lily, your family will be getting ready for Petunia's wedding. Delilah, your parents already have eight kids to take care of, I couldn't ask them to look after me, too. Mary, I wouldn't want to intrude on your family's vacation, and Alice, your family's going on vacation with the Longbottoms, if I remember correctly. I'm not going to burden any of you. Besides, _someone _has to take care of my home."

"If you're sure," Lily spoke skeptically.

"I'm sure," Sasha smiled. "Write to me, you guys, okay? I'll see you guys… sometime."

"Bye, Sasha!" The four girls chirped, and then Sasha snapped her fingers and Apparated to her home.

"Poor Sasha," Mary sighed. "She's going to have such a lonely summer." The other girls nodded in agreement before saying their goodbyes, promising to write and being swept away by their families.

"Padfoot!" James called from a little ways away, standing with Mr. and Mrs. Potter. "Come on, we have a whole summer ahead of us!"

Sirius grinned and yelled back, "You got that right! I'm coming!" He jogged over to the Potters.

"Have a good year, boys?" Mr. Potter smiled.

"Yep," the brothers-in-everything-but-blood answered in unison.

"You'll be Seventh Years next year! Can you believe it?" Mrs. Potter declared. Not waiting for an answer, she continued, "I know I can't! Oh, my little boys are growing up!" She clutched James and Sirius to her in a suffocating hug.

"Mum," James gasped, "Mum, we can't breathe."

"Oh, sorry, dears," Mrs. Potter apologized instantly, letting go of them and kissing their foreheads in her motherly way.

"Let's get going," Mr. Potter suggested. "I'm sure you two are ready to lie down and take a nap."

"You bet," Sirius yawned. The Potters laughed and the family made their way out of the Platform.

_**Not my favorite chapter- except for the scene in the Room of Requirement. I couldn't stop smiling when I wrote that, it's just so cute when you picture it in your head! Anyways, what did you all think? Like it- yes, no? What was your favorite part? Did you like the scene in the Room of Requirement as much as I did? :D PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE review!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!**_

**_Oh, by the way, this quick update is thanks to my friend Leah, who sent me an email with about 1000 "please"s, asking for me to update. Ah, the power of nagging! Haha, just kidding, I love you, Leah! :)_**

**_Thanks for reading, and again, PLEASE review!_**

**_-Joelle8_**


	29. In Which Petunia Gets Married

In Which Petunia Gets Married

"Tuney, you look _beautiful_," Lily gushed, surveying her older sister, who was twirling in front of the mirror in a classic, white, particularly poufy Muggle wedding gown. "That's the one!"

"Are you sure?" Petunia asked anxiously. "I mean, if we buy it, it's not like we can return it…"

"Tuney, Vernon won't be able to take his eyes off of you; trust me on that one," Lily assured her. "It looks like it was made for you!"

"Thanks, Lily," Petunia smiled; she seemed to be doing that more and more these days. "You know, I think I _will _buy it."

"Good; but if you hadn't, _I _would've!" Lily laughed. Petunia joined in and changed back into her regular Muggle clothes. Then the two sisters bought the dress, and nobody would have ever guessed that they had ever fought for once in their life.

Much less six years.

"I'm scared, Lily," Petunia confided in her younger sister on the morning of her wedding day. "There are so many people out there…"

"Oh, Tuney, do you still have stage fright?" Lily gasped, and Petunia nodded sadly. Lily threw her arms around her sister and told her, "Don't worry, I'll be right behind you the whole way. You have nothing to be afraid of."

"I know I don't have anything to be scared of," Petunia chuckled humorously, "but that doesn't stop me from being scared, all the same."

"Think about it this way, Tuney: do you love Vernon?"

"Yes."

"Do you want to spend the rest of your life with him?"

"Yes."

"Do you want to have his babies?"

Petunia blushed and giggled before murmuring, "Yes."

Lily grinned, "Well, the only way that's going to happen is if you go out there and marry him!"

"You have a point, Lily," Petunia conceded.

"That was my goal," Lily laughed. "Now, come on; we have to beautify you!" Petunia chuckled, and led her younger sister lead her to where the other girls were getting their hair and make-up done.

"I now pronounce you Mr. and Mrs. Vernon Dursley," the preacher announced after Petunia and Vernon had exchanged their vows. "You may kiss the bride." Vernon leaned down and tenderly gave Petunia their first kiss as husband and wife. Lily was surprised that such a large, beefy man could be so… gentle. Caring. Loving. She was happy for her sister.

Not too long after the wedding ended, the reception began. The Evans family was having it in their backyard; all of their flowers were in bloom, and the garden looked just lovely. The setting was picture-perfect for a wedding party.

Lily was seated next to Petunia, whose other side was occupied by Lily's new brother-in-law. He didn't seem to care much for Lily; he never had. This day, especially, he only had eyes for his new wife, who, in turn, only had eyes for him. Lily was immensely relieved. However, she _was _a bit lonely; she didn't know her relatives all that well besides her parents, who were too busy reminiscing about Petunia's childhood to pay attention to her.

So, sitting alone at the table, Lily found herself reminiscing herself; only she was remembering Hogwarts, _not _her sister's childhood. She may have been Muggleborn, but Lily had always been a talented witch; perhaps that was why all of her Professors were so keen on her, despite the fact that Lily had a far-from-perfect record for turning in assignments on time. It was really Mary who was the studious one; Lily just had the natural brains. Mary was the one who liked school the most out of her group of friends, no matter what anyone else might say.

Lily remembered when she had first met Mary. Well, actually, she had first met Mary when the two were Sorted into Gryffindor; but she became friends with the shy girl in a very different setting…

_Lily had been walking through Hogwarts just to see what she could find; having grown up with Muggles, she found the talking portraits, the disappearing steps, just the environment in general absolutely fascinating. Suddenly, she heard James Potter- she had only known him for a day and she already hated the arrogant git!- taunting someone, "Aw, c'mon, talk! What are you, mute?" She felt fury fill her; how could he treat someone like that? He was such a bully! Deciding to see what was going on, Lily followed the sound of the voices, and saw James Potter- along with Sirius Black, Peter Pettigrew and Remus Lupin- surrounding a short, frightened girl with curly hair that Lily recognized as Mary Macdonald, her extraordinarily quiet roommate who had to be practically interrogated before the oher Gryffindor girls could figure out her name._

_"What are you doing, Potter?" Lily snapped at the irksome boy, putting her hands on her hips. _

_"Trying to get Mute Macdonald to talk, of course," James answered as if it was the most logical thing in the world, a huge grin on his face. _

_"She's not mute, she's just shy," Lily glared at him. Mary was trembling, and the sight infused Lily with even more anger. "There's nothing wrong with that. Why don't you go away and leave Mary alone?"_

_"I'll leave her alone," James agreed, his eyes glinting evilly. "After all, you're _much _more fun to pick on than Mute here." He pointed to the curly-haired girl, who was glancing around nervously._

_"Don't you bloody _dare_, Potter," Lily warned, stepping backwards as James, Sirius and Peter (Remus lagged behind, looking rather reluctant to be there) circled around her. "I swear, I'll hex your arse off!"_

_"Three to one, Evans? You wouldn't dare," James laughed. Turning to his friends, he inquired, "What do you think? Bat Bogeys? Or maybe we should give her some boils, just to make her face even uglier than it already is- if that's at all possible." Sirius and Peter laughed loudly, and Lily, despite herself, felt herself growing scared. She knew that these four were raised with magical families, and most likely knew at least a handful of magical spells; while she, Muggleborn Lily Evans, knew none._

_Suddenly, a quiet voice said from behind the group, "Furnunculus!" As soon as those words were spoken, James' face broke out into hideous boils. Lily burst out laughing. The same voice spoke, "Babblius!" and when Sirius then tried to say something, it came out as babbling that was utterly impossible to understand; it also rendered him incapable of using any spells. Peter turned around to see who had cast the spells on his friends and saw, to his surprise, Mary Macdonald, shakily pointing her wand at him. "Would you like to get hexed, Pettigrew?" she asked sweetly, and Lily had to bite her lip to hold in her laughter at Mary's sudden transformation and Peter's frightened expression in response to that. He shook his head quickly and rushed in the other direction. Remus, James and Sirius followed him, the latter two going to the Hospital Wing._

_"Thanks for that," Lily smiled at her roommate gratefully. "Aren't you a Muggleborn, too? Where did you learn those spells?"_

_"I read the textbooks at home, and practiced some," Mary admitted softly. "I'm surprised they worked, honestly; I hadn't tried them on actual people before, just the neighborhood sewer rats."_

_"They were brilliant," Lily grinned, and Mary blushed at the compliment. "I'm Lily, by the way. Lily Evans." _

_"Mary Macdonald," the curly-haired girl formally introduced herself. "Excuse me for asking this- it's terribly impolite, but I have the worst memory- you're my roommate, aren't you?"_

_"Yeah, I am," Lily told her. "Want to go back to the common room?"_

_"Sure," Mary smiled._

_As both First Years walked, they knew they had each made a friend._

The memory made Lily smile broadly. She was still being ignored by the rest of the wedding party, and found herself remembering how she made friends with Sasha, Alice and Delilah, too…

_Lily and Severus climbed into the boat nervously. Lily knew that her best friend had the slightest fear of water; or, more accurately, drowning, seeing as Severus couldn't swim to save his life. She smiled reassuringly at him, silently telling him, 'Don't worry, it'll be okay.' Severus smiled back at her shakily. He seemed unlikely to say anything for the rest of the boat ride, so Lily turned to the other two people in her boat. One was a short, slightly plump boy with black hair and brown eyes; the other was a round-faced, perky girl with short blond hair and blue eyes._

_"Hi!" The blond girl greeted Lily jovially. "I'm Alice Prewett. Who are you?"_

_"I'm Lily," the redhead smiled. "Lily Evans. Pleased to meet you." Lily stuck out her hand politely like her parents had taught her to._

_"Why are you being so formal?" Alice questioned, looking confused. "We're friends, after all!"_

_"Oh, okay," was all Lily could say. She supposed being friends with this Alice girl wouldn't be too bad; she seemed very kind, if a bit talkative. "I'm glad to have made another friend besides Sev here," she said after a moment, gesturing to her greasy-haired friend, who looked a bit green in the face._

_"Hello there!" Alice greeted Severus. "I'm Alice Prewett. Is Sev your full name? Or a nickname?"_

_"Nickname," Severus answered shortly. "My full name is Severus Snape."_

_"That's quite an interesting name," Alice mused. "Actually, it has a fairly nice ring to it, if you think about it. Much better than Alice Prewett, if you ask me. It's so… ordinary. All of your names are so much better than mine; Severus Snape, Lily Evans, and… what's your name?" She asked the last eleven-year-old in the boat._

_"Frank Longbottom," he replied softly, looking reluctant at the attention._

_"See! That's a better name than Alice Prewett, too!" she exclaimed. Suddenly, she seemed to realize something, and turned to Frank again. "Longbottom, did you say? Is your mum Augusta?"_

_"Yes," Frank responded._

_"Oh! She's my mum's best friend!" Alice grinned. "What a small world! You know, I think there's an American song about a small world… I have cousins in Florida, in America, who owled me about it…" She rambled on and on, and Lily found herself enjoying the happy girl's company more and more. Yes, she talked far more than any eleven-year-old she had ever met before did; but it was rather humorous, once you got used to it._

Alice had gotten considerably less talkative as the years progressed, and now could go a full class period without chattering; something Lily and her other friends were, truthfully, still surprised at. But, deep down, they had all known that it would happen one day, no matter how unlikely it seemed sometimes. Delilah had been the most skeptical, though. In fact, Lily could remember Delilah saying back in Third Year, "Alice, they day you shut your hole for more than three minutes is the day I don't make the Quidditch team." She had, thankfully, been wrong; the day Alice was finally able to not talk for more than three minutes, Delilah was still an excellent Chaser.

Lily remembered how she became friends with Delilah, too…

_"I'm Delilah McPhee," a tall girl with short brown hair introduced herself to Lily confidently as she walked next to her on the way to Gryffindor Tower, led by their House Prefects. "You look down. What's wrong?"_

_"My best friend got Sorted into another House," Lily replied sullenly. _

_"Tough luck," Delilah said sympathetically. "Happened to my brother; they stayed friends, though. I'm sure you and your pal will, too. What's your name?"_

_"Lily Evans."_

_"My brother had a girlfriend named Lily once," Delilah spoke. "She looked very different from you, though. She had black hair and brown skin- she had green eyes too, though, because she was part Jamaican."_

_"Is this the same brother that had a friend Sorted in another House?" Lily asked._

_"No, that was Kurt. His friend who was Sorted into another House was Arthur, his twin. My brother with the ex-girlfriend named Lily is David."_

_"You have three brothers?"_

_"No, six."_

_"SIX?" Lily exclaimed. "How can you live with six brothers?"_

_"You get used to it," Delilah shrugged casually. "Besides, there are some perks."_

_"Such as?"_

_"Such as, I'm probably the strongest girl in our Year, and I can play Quidditch as well as any boy can," Delilah boasted proudly._

_"Cool," Lily said, impressed._

_"Thanks!" Delilah grinned. "So, what about you? Do you have any siblings?"_

_"Only a sister," Lily sighed. "We used to be great friends, but she hates me now, because I'm a witch and she's not."_

_"Oh, I'm sorry, Lily!" Delilah exclaimed. "Just ignore her; I'm sure she'll come around someday. Family is the most important thing, after all."_

_"Thanks," Lily smiled at the taller brunette who had just made her feel better. She moved to give her a hug in thanks, but Delilah put up her hands, blocking her from doing so._

_"No offense, but I am _not _a huggy person," Delilah told the redhead. "Another part of having six brothers."_

_Lily laughed, sealing the two girls' friendship._

Delilah, it seemed, had been right when she had said that Petunia would come around someday. True, it had taken six long, hateful years; but it had happened. Sometimes, Lily thought that she didn't give Delilah enough credit when it came to giving advice. Surprisingly, the friend that Lily thought gave the best advice was Sasha; behind her loud, cheerful, independent exterior, she was truly wise beyond her years. Not that you could easily notice this about her; Lily certainly hadn't when she had first encountered her…

_"I hate those gits," Lily muttered under her breath as she wandered through the corridors on the Hogwarts Express, Severus trailing behind her. The two friends had just left their former compartment, after James Potter and Sirius Black had so rudely insulted Severus and the Slytherin House. _

_"Agreed," Severus murmured stonily. "Oi, Lily, this compartment only has two people in it; d'you think they'd let us sit with them?" He questioned, noticing a mostly empty compartment with only a boy who looked about their age comforting a girl who also looked about their age, and, in addition to that, looked like she was crying._

_"It couldn't hurt to ask," Lily reasoned optimistically, and knocked on the compartment door. The boy stood up and opened it. "Can Sev and I sit with you?" Lily requested. "We had a compartment before, but we had to share it with these two horrid boys. They kept teasing Sev!"_

_"Was one of their names Sirius Black?" The girl asked suddenly, her voice low and murderous. Lily couldn't help but think how she wouldn't want to be in Sirius' situation as she nodded. The girl literally growled and then told the boy, "Let them come in, Brother. It's not their fault Sirius Black is an absolute arse."_

_"Okay, Sister," the boy said, gesturing for Lily and Severus to come inside. They did so; Lily smiled at him gratefully before sitting down. "I'm Remus Lupin," the boy introduced himself. Lily noticed that, while fairly good looking, his bright blue eyes were tired, and his brown hair was lank with a few scattered grey hairs, even at only eleven years old. His face and arms were covered with scratches, and he looked sickly._

_"I'm Lily Evans, and this is Severus Snape," Lily smiled at Remus; he seemed nice enough, if a bit reserved and cautious. "Are you two brother and sister?" She asked, jerking her head over to the girl._

_"Oh, no," the girl shook her head, wiping tears from her eyes. "We've just been best friends since we were six, so we're close enough to be. I'm Sasha Berg." Sasha, too, looked unusual for an eleven-year-old; but in her case, it was because of her… aura, for lack of a better term. The air around her almost seemed to radiate power, making Lily feel even sorrier for Sirius Black, who seemed to have already made an enemy of her._

_"If you don't mind me asking," Lily said slowly, "why are you crying?"_

_"Oh, it's no big deal, really. I'm just being my usual drama queen self. I'm going to miss my daddy, that's all," Sasha smiled back shakily, hurriedly wiping tears from her eyes again. "I'm really close to him, and I've never left him before. I already miss him." A few tears fell from her eyes again, and Remus jumped to her side, patting her shoulder comfortingly, with alarming speed. _

_"She's also upset because of some things Sirius Black said to her," Remus whispered to Lily._

_"What did he say?" Lily asked quietly, her eyes wide with curiosity. _

_"Well, Sasha and I were looking for a compartment, and we passed him and some other boy; I think his name was James Potter, if I remember correctly." Lily nodded the confirmation of this grimly. "Anyways, Sasha was crying, and Sirius noticed. He asked her why she was crying, and she told him the same thing she told you just now. That she missed her father. Then he teased her about it; he told her she was a spoiled, overgrown crybaby who had to get a life."_

_Lily gasped. "That jerk! That- that- that _arse_!" She lowered her voice to a small whisper. "What did Sasha do?"_

_"She told him off," Remus replied. "I'm telling you, if words could kill, then Sirius would be dead. I led her away from there before she could hex the daylights out of him."_

_"I still plan to, Remus, and you know it!" Sasha exclaimed suddenly, shaking her fist viciously. "The bastard deserves it!"_

_"I can't help but agree," Lily nodded sympathetically._

_"You said that they teased Snape. What'd they say?" Sasha questioned curiously, having stopped crying now that she had been sufficiently distracted._

_"Well, Sev said that he wanted to get into Slytherin, and then Potter- the conceited little toerag- said that Slytherin was a bad House. I know, mean, right? So then, Sev told him that that was where people who'd rather be brainy than brawny go, and Potter replied- very rudely- that Sev was neither! And then as we left, Black called Sev '_Snivellus'_!" Lily explained, growing heated in anger from recounting the event. From the corner of her eye, she saw Severus reacting similarly, and she smiled at him comfortingly. He gave a small grin in return._

_"That's awful!" Sasha declared. "Though it sounds to me like you hate Potter more than Black."_

_"I have to admit, I do," Lily said. "I still hate Black, though, don't get me wrong. Especially after hearing what he did to you! Honestly, I doubt anyone could be worst people than those two."_

_"Well," Sasha grinned, "I hate Black, and Potter too, so I guess we have something in common."_

_"I guess we do," Lily laughed back. The two girls talked for the rest of the train ride, with Remus joining in often. Severus stayed silent; some people may have thought that he was stuck-up and rude because of how rarely he talked of his own free will, but Lily knew he was just shy. He got uncomfortable around strangers. Poor boy; she hoped he would branch out later._

Lily sighed, remembering the boy who had once been her best friend. She couldn't deny that she missed him; but she had gotten over it, having realized that if he was going to get into shit like the Dark Arts, he didn't _deserve _her friendship. She wasn't going to be friends with a Death Eater. Besides, she had other friends who she knew would never betray her as horribly as Severus had; friends that she was sure that she could trust.

"Lily!" Henry Evans barked to his younger daughter, breaking her out of her daydream. "It's time for you to toast the bride and groom!"

"Sure, Dad," Lily smiled at her father, and stood up to give the toast. Petunia beamed up at her, shining with love for her sister that had been gone for so long.

Yes, despite the loneliness, this was most definitely one of the best days of Lily's life.

_**I wanted to put in how all the girls met each other, and I had to write Petunia's wedding, so I decided to put them together! I hope you liked it! Please, please, PLEASE review!**_

**_Oh, by the way, yes, Delilah DOES have seven brothers. When she first met Lily, though, her youngest brother wasn't born yet. I thought I'd clear that up, just in case anyone was confused. :)_**

**_Thanks for reading, and- yet again- PLEASE review! I love them so much, they make me feel good! :D_**

**_-Joelle8_**

**_P.S. By the way, I'd like to thank you all for something. Not only do I have almost 250 reviews, but I have OVER 13,000 HITS! AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! Thank you sooooooooooooo much, everyone! It means so much to me that people like my story!_**


	30. In Which James is OpenMouthed

In Which James is Open-Mouthed

"Padfoooooooooooooooooooooot," James moaned, lying down on his bed in his room, "I'm bored."

"You're not alone there, mate," Sirius sighed.

The two friends had, in the two weeks since their Sixth Year at Hogwarts had ended, already carried out fifty-two pranks, infuriating Mrs. Potter (and tiring out and amusing Mr. Potter) to no end. However, they had already played Quidditch seven times just during the course of that particular day, and couldn't think of any more pranks at the moment; thus rendering the two of them incredibly bored.

"Run out of pranks, boys?" Mr. Potter asked, passing by his son's room and noticing their lack of energy.

"For now," James answered dejectedly.

"Thank Merlin, you're driving your mum off the deep end," Mr. Potter said in relief.

"Oh don't worry- we'll think of a new prank soon," Sirius warned his father-in-everything-but-blood, his grey eyes glinting mischievously.

"Should've expected," Mr. Potter grumbled, seeming to be resigned to his and his wife's fate. "Say, why don't you two go to Remus' house? I'm sure he wouldn't mind you two dropping by."

"That's a great idea, Dad!" James jumped up. "Can we Apparate?"

"Eh, why not?" Mr. Potter shrugged. "You both have your licenses. I'll tell your mother where you two went. Don't get into too much trouble, you hear? Otherwise, the Lupins may not let you come back!"

"Yeah, yeah," Sirius replied absently. "Bye, Mr. Potter!"

"Bye, Dad!" James called. With that, the two boys snapped their fingers and Apparated away.

"BLOODY HELL!" Remus screamed upon seeing his two best friends appearing all of the sudden in his bedroom, wearing matching grins. "Merlin's beard, what are you two doing here?"

"Thought we'd pay our favorite werewolf a visit," Sirius shrugged, grinning. "We ran out of pranks to do."

"You had a list of fifty-two!" Remus exclaimed, eyes widening.

"Your point?" James replied.

"…No comment," Remus shook his head, stifling laughter and feeling very, very bad for Mr. and Mrs. Potter. Sirius and James looked at the young Lupin's bed, and saw that there was a suitcase on it, and realized that their friend must have been in the middle of packing it when they had surprised him.

"Hey, where you going, Moony?" James asked.

"What? Oh, just to a friend's place," Remus told his friends. Sirius raised an eyebrow skeptically.

"What friend?" He couldn't think of any friends whose house Remus would go to besides James' (and, by default, his), and Peter's; and Peter would've invited all three of his fellow Marauders, not just Remus. That was one of Peter's good traits- he always made sure to include everyone.

"A family friend," Remus informed him. "She's been feeling a bit lonesome lately, and invited me to stay at her place awhile."

"Can we come?" James questioned hopefully. "I'm sure my folks wouldn't mind. Besides, it sounds like your friend's a bit down, and you know how good Padfoot and I are at cheering people up!"

"Yeah! With my devilish good looks, it shouldn't be too hard," Sirius laughed.

"Well… I guess it couldn't hurt to ask," Remus admitted, still looking unsure. "I'll go Floo her real quick; stay here, and I'm begging you, _please_ try not to break anything."

"You have so little trust in us!" James exclaimed, pretending to be offended.

"You can't say it's not for good reason," Remus pointed out, and went to Floo his friend.

He came back up a few minutes later and told Sirius and James, "Okay, she said you can come. Go back to your house and get enough stuff for a week or two."

"One week or two?" Sirius asked. "Make up your mind, Moony!"

"Well, I'm staying for two weeks, but I don't know if you'd want to stay that long," Remus explained.

Sirius turned to James. "Two weeks?"

"Definitely two weeks," James nodded, grinning. "Let's go home and get our stuff. See you soon, Moony!"

"Bye, Moony!" Sirius waved, and the two friends Apparated back home.

They were back in twenty minutes, each with their suitcases shrunk in their pockets. At first, the Potters hadn't been too keen on the idea of James and Sirius going to someone's home for two full weeks without knowing whose house they were going to exactly, but when they had heard that Remus would be going too, they had given them permission. This was the benefit of having an extraordinarily responsible, respectful and polite best friend.

(Of course, James and Sirius would've gone anyways; they would just rather not get grounded for the whole summer if at all possible.)

Remus jumped up when his friends Apparated into his room again. "I take it you're both ready?"

"You take it right!" Sirius grinned. "Shrink your bag and let's go!"

Remus nonverbally shrunk his suitcase and tucked it in his front pocket. "I'm going now, Mum!" He yelled down the stairs.

"Bye, Remmy! Stay safe!" She shouted back. "Love you!"

"Love you too, Mum!" Remus called back, and then turned to his friends. "Okay, since you haven't been there before, I'll take you guys through Side-Along Apparition. Ready?"

"Yep!" The two black-haired boys barked eagerly, grinning, and each grabbed one of the werewolf's arms.

"I feel like we're going on a date!" James laughed.

Sirius put on a high, girly voice. "Oh, Remmy, your arms are sooooooooo muscular!" He batted his eyebrows playfully at the werewolf.

"Aw, shut up, you two," Remus ordered, rolling his eyes, though it was all too obvious that he was suppressing laughter.

"As you wish, my friend," James gave a flourishing bow.

"Just… do me a favor when we get there, okay?" Remus requested of his friends, looking at them with slight nervousness. "Be civil to her."

"Why wouldn't we be?" Sirius asked, confused, head cocked to one side in that way that made almost every girl in Hogwarts swoon.

"You'll see," Remus mumbled, and with a snap of his fingers, they were gone.

They appeared in front of a mansion so huge that even James_, _heir to the fortune of the filthy rich Potter family,stared at it open-mouthed in awe. In fact, the word "mansion" did not even come close to describing the massive size of Remus' friend's home. Not to mention it was surrounded by a large forest, a full-sized Quidditch pitch, a flourishing garden, a Muggle pool, a sparkling lake, and some empty grassy areas.

"Whoa." Sirius said shortly, his eyes wide. "I thought you said your friend lived in a _house_, Moony?"

"Did I? Well, I guess I under-exaggerated a bit, didn't I?" Remus chuckled, obviously amused by his friends' reactions.

"And I thought that Potter Manor was big," James mumbled. "This is… I mean, it's just… well, _damn_. What's this place called, anyways?"

"What do you mean?" Remus questioned.

"Well, places this big usually have their own names. Like my place; it's called Potter Manor. So, what's this… erm… _palace_, for lack of a better term,called?"

"Well, um, about that…" Remus laughed shakily, nervously fingering the collar of his shirt. "It's sort of a funny story..."

"Just tell us," James declared. "It can't be _that _funny, and I want to know."

"If you're sure," Remus murmured, and then added in a louder voice, "Don't be too surprised though, okay?"

"No problem, Moony."

"Okay. Well, you see, this is sorta kinda the… erm… Berg Estate," Remus finished quietly, looking like he possessed a great desire to hide under a rock.

Sirius' eyes widened even more. "Wait- did you say _Berg_?" Remus nodded. "As in, _Sasha Berg_?" Remus nodded again. "As in, Gryffindor Sasha Berg in our year? My _worst enemy_?" Remus nodded again, looking extremely scared. Before Sirius could harm Remus in any way, though, the immense front door of the Berg Estate opened.

"BROTHER!" Sasha cried, flinging her arms around her werewolf friend. "You came for me! Thank you, thank you, _thank you_!"

"Anytime, Sister," Remus laughed, hugging his almost-sister back. "Here are the two friends I told you I was bringing."

Sasha released Remus from her grip and looked at James and Sirius. Her eyes widened almost unnoticeably when she saw Sirius, but she kept telling herself, _He's Remus' friend. He's Remus' friend. Do not kill him. Not right now, at least…_

"Potter," she nodded to James politely. "Black," she nodded to him, too, eyes narrowed a tad. "I never thought I'd be saying this, but… welcome to my home." She moved aside and gestured to the boys to go inside, which they did. The inside of Berg Estate was just as large as the outside, but unlike most pureblood homes, was not grim or dark. Rather, it had many windows, and though there was much emerald décor, there was an equal amount of red and gold. It was clear that Sasha had had a hand in the decorating.

"Where should we put our stuff, Sasha?" Remus asked, seeing his two friends were too busy staring at their surroundings in awe to speak.

"Oh, thanks for reminding me, Remus," Sasha smiled. "Tita!" She yelled. An instant later, a short, obviously well-fed House Elf with large violet eyes appeared.

"Mistress Sasha called for Tita!" She squealed excitedly. "What may Tita do, Mistress Sasha?"

"First, Tita, I've told you a thousand times; just call me Sasha, _not _Mistress Sasha! It's way too formal." Sasha instructed, looking down kindly at the House Elf. "Second, if you don't mind, could you take the boys' bags to the rooms you set up earlier?"

"Of course, Sasha!" Tita squeaked. "Who gets what room?"

"Let them choose," Sasha decided. "I'll come with you; we can give them a tour of the house."

"Good idea, Sasha!" Tita complimented. "Smart Sasha! Always thinking up good ideas! Yes, Tita has good mistress, very good mistress!"

"Thank you, Tita. You're pretty great yourself," Sasha grinned, and the House Elf beamed with pride, tears welling up in her large eyes. "Come on, let's go." She, Tita and Remus began walking; Sirius and James didn't seem to realize this, and remained staring at their surroundings in awe. Sasha, once she realized this sighed, and then yelled to them, "Oi! Potter! Black! Unless you want to sleep on the couch for the next two weeks, hurry your arses up!"

Remus chuckled and his two friends broke out of their trances and ran to catch up with them.

Sirius' feet were starting to hurt. The Berg Estate was nothing short of gigantic; he didn't understand how Sasha could bear to live here all alone. Fortunately, they were at the last part Wing of the Estate; the Wings of Rooms. They had already passed the Wing of Athletics (filled with an indoor gym, an indoor pool, and a domed Quidditch pitch, amongst many other things), the Wing of Domestics (in which the kitchen, living room, music room, and anything that would be found in a normal home could be found), and the Wing of Memories. Sasha had ushered them past this Wing, clearly not wanting them to see whatever was inside. Sirius had made a vow at that moment to get inside; but that was for another time.

"Here's the bathroom," Sasha gestured to a huge mahogany door. "There's a shower, a bathtub, a Jacuzzi, and all the other stuff you'd expect to find in a bathroom. You'll see it for yourself soon enough, I'm sure."

"You have this huge place, and only _one _bathroom?" James asked incredulously.

"My dad had his own bathroom connected to his room, so we only _needed _one more bathroom," Sasha shrugged. "We usually don't have guests."

"Why not?" Sirius asked.

"We just don't," Sasha answered shortly, her eyes clearly saying, _End of conversation. Disagree and die. _Sirius, not putting it past her to kill him, said nothing. Sasha smirked nearly imperceptibly at this, and then they continued the tour.

"Okay, all of the bedrooms are in this Wing," Sasha explained as they walked. "Tita will show you guys different bedrooms, and you can pick which one you want."

"Fair enough," Remus remarked. He was the only one of the boys who wasn't showing any signs of discomfort. Sirius and James assumed that he was either a much better actor than he had ever let on, or he had already been to the Berg Estate many times before. Something told them it was the latter.

"Glad you think so, Remus," Sasha smiled. "Well, this is my room," she said, coming up to a door that was half emerald green and half red and gold stripes. She opened it, revealing a huge bedroom in which the left half of the room was emerald green and the other half was red and gold. There was a canopy bed, complete with curtains, in the center of the room. Two whole walls were lined with bookshelves; one wall had books, the other had records. She had a desk on another wall, on which there were a few ink bottles and pieces of parchment laid out, and there was also an old-fashioned Muggle record player that looked to be kept in pristine condition. Lastly, there was a small table next to Sasha's bed with a photo on it that the boys couldn't get a close enough look at to see what was in it, and a small pillow serving as a bed for a sleeping Zevi.

"What's in the photo, Berg?" James asked, curious.

"My family," Sasha answered, closing the door to her bedroom. "If you guys have any trouble, then you could come get me, but don't expect me to answer if it's in the middle of the night; if I'm asleep, I won't wake up. If that's the case, just call for Tita."

"Tita is happy to serve young masters!" The House Elf added cheerily.

_What a lovely change from Kreacher, _Sirius noted in his head.

The group walked down the hallway a little ways more, passing an emerald green door with a silver doorknob. "Hey! What about this room?" Sirius spoke.

"That's Daddy's room," Sasha replied quietly, a look of pure, unhindered sorrow crossing her face. "None of you will be staying in that one." Without another word, she continued down the hallway, and the group followed her. They eventually stopped at a silver door. Sasha opened it, revealing a room with silver-painted walls and oak furniture. The queen-sized bed was pushed up in the corner of the room, and there were bookshelves on either side of it. A desk was in the opposite corner, and there were two dressers against the wall. Besides this, however, the room was fairly plain; all the same, it had a certain charm to it.

"This one's mine," Remus declared.

"You sure?" Sasha raised an eyebrow. "You haven't even seen the other ones yet!"

"I'm sure," Remus assured her. "I like this one."

"Have it your way," Sasha shrugged. "Go ahead and start unpacking; Potter and Black can show you their rooms later."

"Okay," Remus agreed, and shut himself in his room for two weeks.

"I thought he'd pick that one," Sirius murmured under his breath.

"He was sold as soon as he saw the bookshelves," James nodded in agreement.

"For once, I agree with you, Potter," Sasha chuckled. "Okay, there are two rooms left. Let's keep going; I'm sure you guys want to get off your feet."

"You got _that _right," Sirius grumbled moodily under his breath. Sasha heard this and chortled, clearly enjoying his discomfort.

The three Gryffindors and one House Elf continued down the hall, stopping at a red door. This time, Tita opened it, and James instantly knew that this would be his room for the next two weeks. There were Quidditch posters all over the red walls, and the carpet was enchanted to look like a Quidditch pitch. This bed, too, was queen-sized, and was across the room from a desk. There were no bookshelves.

"MINE!" James screamed, rushing into the room and collapsing on the blissfully soft bed.

"Aw, _Prongs_!" Sirius whined. "_I _wanted this room!"

Sasha rolled her eyes. "Get over it, Black," she scolded. "You'll get the next room. I actually think you'll like it."

"Whatever," Sirius mumbled. "See ya, Prongs."

James, massaging his feet, replied, "Bye, Padfoot! Bye, Berg!"

"Bye, Potter." Sasha closed the door to James' room and then turned to Sirius. "Come on, this room isn't too far away."

"Thank Merlin," Sirius sighed, and they began walking. Sure enough, they stopped after a minute in front of a black door. "A black room for Sirius Black. Hilarious," Sirius said to himself before opening the door. He was immediately thrilled that he hadn't chosen the other room after all.

This room had a black floor, ceiling and walls, but that was where the black ended. Everything else in the room- the queen-sized bed, the desk, the dresser, too- were all assorted colors, from red to purple to yellow. It was completely random, and yet, it somehow fit Sirius. The walls were covered with unmoving Muggle pictures of cars, motorcycles and bands; The Rolling Stones seemed especially prominent. As a bonus, there was a full-length mirror on one of the walls.

"I thought you'd like it," Sasha smirked, seeing the overjoyed look on her enemy's face.

"You were actually right, for once," Sirius replied. "You know, you have a cool place, Berg."

"I know," Sasha nodded. "There's some of everything in here, really." After a moment, Sasha spoke, "Black… let's make a truce."

"A _what_?" Sirius arched his eyebrows, not sure if he had heard correctly.

"You heard right, Black. I think we should make a truce."

"_Why_?"

"I don't want my summer to be spoiled by our fighting. Besides, I don't know about you, but I was taught to be courteous to guests," Sasha explained. "So, what do you say?"

After thinking for a minute, Sirius replied, "That doesn't sound too bad. Alright, it's a deal. For the next two weeks, we'll get along as well as possible."

"Glad to hear it," Sasha smiled. "We'll have dinner in about an hour; until then, feel free to explore the grounds or something. Just don't mess with my stuff or break anything."

"You, too? Why does everyone think I'll break things?" Sirius wondered aloud. "See you, Berg."

"Until dinner, Black," Sasha responded, and left the room, shutting the door behind herself.

_Well, this'll be interesting, _Sirius thought as he sat down on his bed. _Me and Berg, actually trying to get along. That's just… weird._

But despite the weirdness of it all, Sirius felt himself looking forward to behaving civilly with Sasha. Why? He himself didn't even know that.

Or at least, that's what he told himself, pushing back his thoughts of Sasha's beautiful features.

_**THIS is where things start to get interesting! :D**_

**_I hope you liked this chapter- thanks for reading! Please, please, PLEASE review!_**

**_-Joelle8_**


	31. In Which Sirius is Piteous

In Which Sirius is Piteous

Sirius, James and Remus had been staying at the Berg Estate for four days, and it had been unanimously decided between them that these four days were some of the most fun of their lives. They had grown used to Sasha's rather odd behavior at home: she would sleep until sometime between one o'clock and three o'clock in the afternoon, disappear for an hour or so, and then join in whatever activities the boys were currently engaged in. James and Sirius also grew an understanding as to why their werewolf best friend was such good friends with her- when you weren't on her bad side, Sasha was one of the most hilarious, liveliest, most fun people you could possibly meet. She wasn't afraid to get down and dirty, and would do- and say- whatever she wanted, something that the boys found themselves enjoying more and more each day.

By the end of the second day, James and Sasha could officially call themselves friends. They switched to calling each other by their first names, and did not once hesitate to ruffle each other's hair in a good-natured manner. Remus couldn't be more happy; honestly, his friends' constant bickering got on his nerves.

Which was why the fact that Sirius and Sasha, as a result of their truce, were acting civilly, no, _friendly _towards each other, positively overjoyed him. The two enemies- if you could even call them that anymore- still teased each other, but it was in a playful manner nowadays, rather than in a cruel one. It was truly remarkable how well they got along, really, considering they had spent over six years hating each other with a burning, fiery passion. But Remus had personally always suspected that the main reason the two had fought so often was really because of how alike they were in so many ways.

The boys had now, by this point, been in every part of the estate, if only for a minute. Every part, that is, besides the Wing of Memories. Sirius still had every intention of sneaking into the forbidden Wing; after all, with a name like that, how could one _not _wonder what was in it?

On this fourth day, Sirius finally came up with his master plan for getting into the Wing. For once, he doubted if either of his friends would join him on this escapade; neither of them really showed much interest for finding out what was in the mysterious Wing. Not even James, oddly enough. So, he decided that he would carry out his plan alone.

He walked up to the Wing and stood outside the door that acted as the entrance to it. Checking the perimeter around himself quickly, he threw on James' Invisibility Cloak (he had "borrowed" it for the time being), and put his hand on the doorknob. He turned it… but the door wouldn't open. It was as if it was locked from the inside.

Suddenly, Tita appeared next to him. "Master Sirius!" She squeaked. "Master Sirius must not go into Wing of Memories! Bad Master Sirius!"

Sighing, Sirius realized the fault in his plan: House Elves could see through Invisibility Cloaks. He threw off the Cloak and looked down at Tita. "Why not, Tita?"

"Mistress Sasha said so," she answered. "Mistress Sasha said not to let any guests go into Wing of Memories."

"Can you tell me what's in it, then?" Sirius asked hopefully.

"Yes, indeed Tita can," the House Elf replied. "Tita will not, though. No, no, Tita is good House Elf. Tita knows Mistress Sasha no wants guests to know what's in Wing of Memories."

"Can you tell me _anything _about it?" Sirius questioned. "Anything at all?"

Tita thought for a moment, and then responded, "Wing of Memories is close to Mistress Sasha's heart. Mistress Sasha goes to Wing every day."

Sirius cocked his head. _So _that's _where she goes off to every day! _He thought.

"Master Sirius should go to friends. Master Sirius leave Wing of Memories, and not come back," Tita suggested firmly, her violet eyes as hard and cold as stone.

"Alright, Tita," Sirius sighed. "I'll go." He tucked the Clock in his pocket and began walking back to his room. Suddenly, he thought of a question. "Tita?"

"Yes, Master Sirius?"

"How did you know I was up here in the first place?"

"Charm was placed on doorknob, Master Sirius. Charm lets Tita know if anyone but Mistress Sasha or Master Harry- bless him, Tita's sweet Master, may he rest in peace- touches it."

"Okay," Sirius nodded. "Thanks, Tita." He continued walking back to his room, and could feel the House Elf's watchful eyes on him the whole way.

At dinner that day, Sasha remarked casually, after swallowing a forkful of mashed potatoes, "So, Black, Tita talked to me today."

"Okay," Sirius shrugged.

"She told me you were up by the Wing of Memories earlier this morning," Sasha said almost conversationally.

"Yeah, I was," Sirius replied.

"I'd appreciate it if you wouldn't go up there," Sasha stated, looking him straight in the eye in a commanding manner.

"Why don't you want any of us to go in there?" Sirius asked suddenly.

Sasha set her fork down, sighed, and told him, "I… I just don't, okay? Enough said."

Sirius frowned. "I don't see why we can't go in there."

"Because you can't," Sasha glared at him. "And it's my house, so it's my rules."

"That's a horrible reason," Sirius commented. "You know, if you don't tell me why I can't go in there, then I might just have to go up there again…"

Sasha glared at him more fiercely. "It's personal, Black. It's called the Wing of _Memories _for a reason. They're _my_ memories, and I'd rather keep them to myself."

"What's so different about these memories?" Sirius asked. He felt James' and Remus' eyes on him, silently telling him- no, begging him- to his shut up, but he stubbornly ignored them. He was on a roll, and he intended to stay on that roll. "You've told us other memories. Why not these ones?"

Sasha's fists clenched, and she forced herself not to scream at him. _Black _can't _go into the Wing, he just can't, _she thought. _Remus and James probably could- they didn't see the book, they wouldn't see any resemblance. But Black? He'd notice. And then he'd know my secret, whether or not I confirmed it. _Nobody _can know my secret. Nobody. It's too dangerous- for everyone. _Sasha stood up, took a deep breath, and ground out, "I'm going to my room," before exiting the dining hall.

As soon as she was gone, Remus turned to face his prying friend. "Sirius, why couldn't you have left her alone for once in both of your lives?"

"I'm curious," Sirius shrugged, pretending he didn't feel guilt welling up inside him.

"Everyone's entitled to their secrets, Padfoot," James said, uncharacteristically wise. "Including Sasha."

Sirius opened his mouth to tell them just how big Sasha's secret was, but then he remembered the deal he made with her, and shut his mouth abruptly. He wasn't going to break his promise, especially when he and Sasha were getting along so well. As weird as it was for him, he actually enjoyed being almost friends with her. Not that he would ever admit that, of course.

"You should go apologize to her," Remus told him firmly. "It's the right thing to do."

Seeing Sirius was about to protest, James interjected, "I know you don't want to, Pads. But do you _really _want to go back to fighting Sasha? You two have been getting along so well." He decided not to mention that his friend had been smiling more often than he ever had since Hogwarts term had ended. Personally, he thought that Sirius might feel a little more than friendly feelings for the dark-haired Gryffindor beauty; but, again, he wisely decided not to mention it. It wouldn't help anything.

Sirius sighed in defeat. James had a point; he actually _didn't _want to go back to fighting Sasha. "Okay, I'll apologize."

Remus beamed; he knew his friend cared about Sasha. Even if Sirius wouldn't admit it, not even if his life depended on it, Remus knew. To him, this was just more proof; whether or not Sirius realized it yet. "She's probably up in her room."

"Thanks, Moony. See you guys later."

"Bye, Padfoot!" Remus called.

"Good luck!" James yelled.

Sirius smiled wryly on his way out. Considering how angry Sasha had been, he needed all the luck he could get.

Sirius took a deep breath and knocked on Sasha's bedroom door. He received no response; in fact, he couldn't hear anything in the room at all. Frowning, he knocked again. "Berg, are you in there?" Still no response. He opened the door and, sure enough, Sasha was not there.

_Where is she? _He wondered, stepping into the room and looking around. His eyes fell on the photograph at Sasha's bedside, and, curiosity overwhelming him, he walked over to it. Picking it up gently, he looked it over. To be honest, he was rather disappointed by the people in the photograph- or, rather, lack of. In the picture, Sasha's father sat in a big, plush, green chair, holding up a drooling one-year-old Sasha. The sight made Sirius smile- Sasha had been a ridiculously cute baby, he had to admit it. Next to the chair, there was a small wooden table, with a picture on it. Sirius could barely see the person inside the picture; he just barely made out long, red hair.

Suddenly, he heard noises coming from the closet, of all places. He tentatively walked over to it and lightly pressed his ear against the door, so as not to make a sound; sure enough, there were definite sounds in there, a very odd assortment of grunts and thumps. Slowly, he opened the door…

…And found that it wasn't a closet at all.

Instead, it was a whole separate room from Sasha's bedroom. The room had silver metal walls and a shiny wooden floor. There was a large, red punching bag hanging in the center, and, hitting it with angry force that frightened Sirius and made him greatly pity the poor, poor punching bag, was Sasha.

She did not seem to notice his sudden appearance, and continued hitting the bag. It swung back and forth with the power of her fists. The only sounds in the room were the sounds of Sasha's fists colliding with the bag and her occasional grunts.

"So, this is how you've got such a good punch," Sirius commented lightly, watching the powerful precision of Sasha's fists with evident awe.

Sasha continued punching the bag as she answered, "Go away, Black. _Now_."

Of course, Sirius didn't listen. "What room is this, anyways?"

"It's my own personal Room of Requirement," Sasha replied. "Now go away."

"No, I don't think I will," Sirius said, hardheaded as usual.

Sasha turned to face him angrily, her fists clenched and red as they hung stiffly at her sides. "Do you want to take the place of this punching bag, Black?" she glared at him. "Because I could easily arrange that."

Sirius gulped down his fear and declared, "Why do you always have to deal with your problems alone?"

Sasha seemed taken aback by his question and didn't answer, so Sirius continued.

"I've learned a lot about you this past year, Berg. One of the things I've learned is that you deal with too many things alone. You don't like it when people help you. All I'm asking is, why? People care about you, Berg; they want to help you. Why won't you let them?"

"I do let people help me," Sasha replied. "I'm always asking Lily for help with Potions, and-"

"That's not what I mean, Berg, and you know it," Sirius interrupted her, taking care not to scare himself by eyeing her fists. "I mean with serious things. Do I need to use an example?" Sasha said nothing, so he took that as a 'yes'. "When your dad died, you retreated into yourself. For a whole bloody _month_. You wouldn't talk to anyone, wouldn't let anyone help you, no matter how hard they tried. When it comes with anything serious, anything that actually matters, you _hate _letting people help you. Why?"

Sasha thought for a moment, and answered slowly, "I… can handle things… by myself. With my dad… you know… I just… needed alone time. I didn't need help… I didn't want it. I don't need people's help. If I do need it, I ask for it."

Sirius walked closer to her. "You're lying," he proclaimed. "You need people's help, and you know it. I want to know the truth now, Berg."

Sasha looked up into his eyes, her stare so intense that Sirius almost wanted to look away, but wouldn't let himself. "You want the truth, Black? Well, here it is: it's too dangerous for people to try to help me. Are you happy now?"

"No," Sirius replied truthfully. "How could people helping you be _dangerous_?"

Sasha glared at him and said, "I have a temper, Black. On a scale of one to ten, how angry do you think I was just now?"

Sirius thought about how bruises on Sasha's knuckles and the battered appearance of the punching bag, and the anger radiating off of her, and answered, "Eight."

"Wrong," Sasha responded. "What you just saw? That was about two."

"No way." Sirius' eyes widened in fearful shock

"Yes way. My temper is so much worse than I let on," Sasha laughed hollowly.

"What does that have to do with it being too dangerous for people to help you?"

"Simple. Have you ever taken your anger out on someone who was trying to help you?"

"Of course. Everyone has."

"Well, say I was actually angry; more than what you just saw. If I took my anger out on someone…" She shook her head and laughed hollowly again. "If I was truly angry when I took my anger out on someone, Black, they could be in St. Mungo's for a month. At best."

"Yeah, right," Sirius scoffed. "You're seventeen, Berg. You're not that powerful."

"What do you think happened to Snape at the end of Fifth Year?" Sasha shot back. "Do you think his mum _really _took him out of school early or something like Dumbledore told the school? He was in St. Mungo's for half the summer."

Sirius raised his eyebrows skeptically. "_You _did that?"

Sasha shrugged like it was no big deal. "He hurt Lily. Very few things can actually hurt Lily; Snape betrayed her. That was the one time she was ever really, truly, actually hurt. He deserved it."

"James was furious that someone got to Snivellus before he could," Sirius murmured.

Sasha laughed. "It figures he would be. So, now that I've told you why I won't let people help me, will you leave me alone?"

"For now," Sirius agreed. "But, think about it, Berg: do you feel better, now that I've talked to you?"

Thoughtfully, Sasha said, "Actually… yes." _Not that that means anything, _she added mentally. "What's your point?"

"I helped you, and I'm not hurt in any way or form," Sirius replied, spreading his arms out wide. "I'm living proof that people can help you without getting hurt, Berg." No waiting for a response, he left the room, shutting the door behind himself, leaving Sasha to her thoughts.

_He has a point, _Sasha admitted to herself. _But all the same… it still feels risky to me. Black underestimates me; he doesn't know just how powerful I am, just how much damage I could do to him, or anyone for that matter, if I really wanted to. _

She made a flame appear on her fingertip and bounced it around playfully, completely at ease with the fire now. It was nothing less than a part of her. _I could burn him to a crisp… _She turned to flame into a water droplet, and made it grow so that it was large enough for her to wield through the air. _I could freeze him, from the inside out… _she thought as she froze the water. The ice shard fell from the air and shattered as it hit the ground at Sasha's command, just as a gentle breeze blew through her hair. _I could envelop him in a tornado that would suck the life from him instantly… _She thought hard, and then a boulder appeared next to her that, miraculously, did not break the floor. At her mental order, the boulder broke off into little pieces and whirled through the air around her. _I could stone him to death, or turn him into a statue…_

…_But I won't. _As annoying as Sirius Black could be, Sasha knew that he didn't deserve death; even though she could easily kill him, or anyone else, if she really wanted to. But that was the thing: she _didn't _want to. Now that she had really gotten to know Sirius Black, just like Remus had encouraged her to do for so many years, she very nearly considered him a friend. Nearly. She certainly did not hate him anymore- not usually, at least.

She had just been musing about _what _she could do, about why she couldn't let anyone help her when she was upset about something. It really _was _too dangerous, and for whatever reason, she almost wanted Sirius to know the truth.

After all, she could do so much more than just control the elements.

As Sasha and Sirius were conversing upstairs, Remus and James were having their own, equally as important discussion.

"You know, part of me never thought this day would come," James stated suddenly, chortling lightly.

"What day?" Remus asked, confused.

"The day that Sirius and Sasha became friends, of course!" James exclaimed. Remus nodded in agreement.

"I've actually dreamed about it before," Remus admitted a bit sheepishly. "Somehow, it always ended with them either killing each other or falling madly in love."

James shrugged. "It makes sense. I mean, think about it: for Sirius and Sasha, those are really the only two options."

"I don't know," Remus started, "I guess you have a point, but why can't they just be friends?"

"Think about it, Moony: can you _really _imagine Sirius and Sasha just being friends?" James arched his eyebrows. "Whatever feelings they have for each other, they're too strong to just be friendship."

The werewolf chuckled. "Well, you certainly have a point there. It's definitely a lot easier to imagine them falling in love or brutally murdering each other."

"About a week ago, I would've guessed the latter, hands down," James laughed. "Nowadays, though… I'm honestly not so sure anymore."

"I know what you mean," Remus nodded. "They get along so well now that they've actually taken the time to get to know each other. It's like their personalities were just made to go together. Have you noticed that they _always _smile when they're around each other?"

"How could I _not _notice?" James snorted. "It's getting bloody annoying…"

The two friends laughed just as Sirius came bounding down the stairs, a huge grin lighting up his face. "What's so funny, mates?" the handsome youth asked.

"Nothing," Remus said right on time so as not to cause any suspicions. "Just talking about Prongs' failures in winning Lily's heart!"

"She'll fall for me yet!" James proclaimed, sticking his fork in the air. "Now, Padfoot, have some meatloaf."

Sirius chuckled and helped himself, still smiling broadly. James and Remus shared a look. Their point was proven.

_**I actually really like this chapter. It's my thirtieth chapter- YAAAAAAAAY! I have over 15,000 hits and over 260 reviews; and so, THANK YOU SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO MUCH, EVERYONE! You have no idea how much it means to me that people actually like my story! I didn't see it coming!**_

**_Thanks a bundle for reading, and PLEASE review!_**

**_-Joelle8_**


	32. In Which Mary is Disturbed

In Which Mary Is Disturbed

On vacation with her family in a small Muggle village in Sweden, the last people Mary expected to see were Artrise Avery and Xavier Mulciber. And yet, she did see them, conversing together at a table in a Muggle cafe, looking around at their non-magical surroundings in what could only be described as utter loathing and disgust.

Mary gulped, remembering what those awful, repulsive, vile boys had done to her. Well, really, it had mostly been Mulciber; Avery had just stood there and laughed. All the same…

She tugged on her mother's sleeve, and Mrs. Macdonald looked down at her daughter. "What is it, dear?"

"Can we not stop here, Mum?" Mary asked. "Can we just… keep going? Please?"

Mrs. Macdonald frowned in confusion. "But we always go here, Mary. You love it."

"I know, Mum," Mary sighed, trying to come up with a good reason for not going to the café without telling her mother the truth. "I just… think we should try something different, you know?"

But Mrs. Macdonald wasn't listening to her daughter. Instead, she was staring a little ways off in the distance, her brow furrowed. "Mary, why are those two boys looking at us?" Mary turned to where her mother's gaze was directed and saw, to her horror, that Mulciber and Avery were indeed staring at her. Seeing her look at them, Mulciber grinned evilly, waggling his eyebrows, his eyes oozing ill-disguised lust. Avery's look was revoltingly similar.

"They… erm… go to my school," Mary told her mother.

She instantly brightened. "Oh, then why don't we go say hello!" she suggested.

"I don't really think that's the best idea, Mum. We- we don't exactly get along, you see-" Mary tried to say, but her mother was already cheerfully dragging her and her father over to the two boys.

"Hello boys!" Mrs. Macdonald greeted the two Slytherins jovially, entirely oblivious to the hostile feelings in the air. "I'm Mrs. Macdonald, Mary's mother. She tells me you two go to school with her."

"Yes, we do," Mulciber replied, eyes narrowed at the Muggle woman, his hand in his pocket. Mary had a bad feeling that he was gripping his wand, and tensed, wrapping her fingers around her own, just in case. Mrs. Macdonald seemed not to notice this.

"Oh, well that's wonderful! What are your names?" She asked.

"I'm Avery; that's Mulciber," Avery said, his eyes narrowed as well. From the looks of it, he was holding his wand, too. _Not good. Really not good, _Mary thought worriedly, squeezing her wand tighter. Mulciber seemed to notice this and smirked at her.

"So, what are you doing here?" Mrs. Macdonald questioned politely, still smiling cheerily. It was starting to look a tad ridiculous. Even a total stranger could have sensed the tension in the air.

"Waiting for a mate of ours, Lucius Malfoy," Mulciber answered, and then looked over at Mary pointedly, a smirk still firmly set on his face. "We have some… _things _to discuss, and we figured a Mud- Muggle village would be the safest place to discuss them."

"Mum, let's go now," Mary whispered in her mother's ear urgently. Unlike her parents (or her mother, at least; as usual, her father wasn't saying a single word, wearing a perfect poker face that had taken Mary years to perfect), she had a guess as to what "things" the two Slytherins planned on discussing with Malfoy, and she knew that if her family stayed, it couldn't turn out well for them. Not well at all. The memory of what Mulciber and Avery had done to her didn't make her any more eager to stay and chat with them, either.

"Oh, but we only just met them!" Mrs. Macdonald protested. _Why does my mother have to be a social butterfly? _Mary sighed internally, her frustration growing.

The witch turned to her father for help. She looked into his eyes pleadingly and saw that, unlike his wife, he could tell that Mary wasn't at all comfortable around the boys. He gave an almost inconspicuous nod to Mary, who sighed in relief; her father had always been able to understand her better.

"Sarah," he murmured, "Perhaps we should go now. These boys look pretty busy, and if they're not now, they will be soon, you heard them, their friend is coming to meet with them; we should leave them to their devices."

"But-"

"I saw a little antiques shop down the road. Would you like to go check it out?" Mr. Macdonald offered smartly, cutting his wife off.

"Oh, that sounds lovely!" Mrs. Macdonald exclaimed. Being an antique dealer, she always liked to see what other stores had. "It was nice meeting you boys," she told Mulciber and Avery before rushing out of the café. Mr. Macdonald winked at Mary, who mouthed "Thank you" at him gratefully, before following his wife out.

"Well… bye," Mary said awkwardly, making to run after her parents as fast as she could.

"Oi, Macdonald?" Mulciber called before she could leave. Mary turned around, forcing herself to use her Gryffindor bravery (what little of it she had; sometimes, she wondered if the Sorting Hat had been on some sort of drug when it had Sorted her, because she always thought that she was more suited for Ravenclaw, or even Hufflepuff), and faced him. The Slytherin wasn't even bothering to disguise his lust now. "I think you may have gone up a few cup sizes. Delightful change, if you ask me. I just wish I could take a closer peek…"

Mary shuddered in utter repulsion, fighting the urge to barf, and turned to run after her parents. She ran all the faster when Mulciber stood up and slapped her arse as she turned around.

"It's too bad that there aren't any Quidditch pitches nearby," Delilah pouted. She and Dexter were at a Muggle park in their neighborhood, lying down in the grass. Her head was in his lap, and he tenderly stroked her hair.

"It is too bad," Dexter agreed. "I have a feeling my broom gets lonely over the summer."

Delilah chuckled. "Yeah, I'm pretty sure mine does, too."

Suddenly, Dexter sat up, making sure not to move his girlfriend's head as he did so. "I have an idea!"

"What is it?" Delilah asked, looking up at her boyfriend, her head still on his lap.

"My uncle lives a mile or so away. He's a wizard, and he lives out in the countryside, away from the Muggles. His backyard is just big enough to fly around in," Dexter answered. "Do you think your family would let you go down there for a day with me? We could just fly around, and my uncle's a great cook."

"That sounds like loads of fun!" Delilah exclaimed, more than interested in the idea. "I'm not sure my parents would let me, though."

"Well, it can't hurt to ask, can it?" Dexter questioned optimistically. "Come on, let's go ask them right now."

"Okay," Delilah smiled and stood up. Dexter stood up too, and held his hand out to her. She accepted it, and hand-in-hand, the couple walked to Delilah's house.

"No."

"Absolutely not."

"Aw, c'mon!" Delilah begged her two parents, who had just told her that she most certainly could not go to her boyfriend's uncle's house. "Why not?"

"You and Dexter have only been dating for a few months, honey," Mrs. McPhee said. "Are you sure you're ready to go away on vacation with him?"

"Mum, it's not a vacation, it's a day trip, and it's only a couple miles away," Delilah pointed out. "It's barely even a day trip, really; it's more of an… outing."

"The answer's still no," Mrs. McPhee spoke stubbornly.

"If it makes you feel any better, Mr. and Mrs. McPhee," Dexter piped up, "my uncle's a Healer. If anything happened to either of us, he'd be able to fix us up real quick. Not that anything would happen to us, of course. It's perfectly safe."

"When were you planning on going?" Mr. McPhee asked.

"I'm not sure. Sunday, maybe? Delilah?" Dexter turned to his girlfriend.

"Sunday sounds good," Delilah nodded. Seeing her parents were still reluctant to let her go, she turned to them. "It'll be really safe, I promise. We're just going to fly around a bit, that's all!"

Mr. and Mrs. McPhee shared a look with each other before asking, "Delilah, may we please see you in the kitchen? Alone?"

"Sure," Delilah obliged, following her parents into the kitchen. "What is it?"

"Are you sure you can trust Dexter?" Mrs. McPhee asked.

"Of course," Delilah answered immediately. "Why?"

"Just remember, Delilah, he's a teenage boy. His hormones are in a frenzy; I should know, I was a seventeen-year-old boy once, too," Mr. McPhee told his daughter knowingly. "Are you sure you trust Dexter not to try anything… _inappropriate_… with you?"

Delilah stared at her parents for a moment, looking for signs of them joking, and then burst out laughing. "You two are ridiculous!" She exclaimed between laughs. "He wouldn't try anything like that unless I was ready- which I'm not."

"You're sure?" Mrs. McPhee raised her eyebrows.

"_Yes_, Mum, I'm sure. I trust him."

"You promise that you two won't do anything your mother and I don't approve of?" Mr. McPhee questioned.

"I promise," Delilah assured him.

"Well, then… I suppose there's nothing wrong with you going," Mrs. McPhee sighed.

"Thank you, Mum!" Delilah hugged her mother joyfully. "Thanks, Dad!" She enveloped her father in a hug as well.

"You're welcome, Delilah. Now, go on back out there and tell your boyfriend-" Mr. McPhee paused, grimacing; he still wasn't used to saying that word "-the good news."

"Okay!" Delilah ran out of the kitchen grinning broadly.

"What'd they say?" Dexter asked.

"They said I could go!" Delilah beamed, hugging her boyfriend.

"That's great!" The Ravenclaw exclaimed, kissing her forehead. "So, what time on Sunday?"

"Hmm… how about around eleven?" Delilah suggested.

"Sounds good," Dexter smiled. "How does that sound to you, Mr. McPhee? Mrs. McPhee? I'll pick up Delilah at around eleven on Sunday," he called into the kitchen.

"Fine with us," Mr. McPhee yelled back. "Have her back by dinnertime- around seven."

"Will do!" Dexter shouted back. Looking down at his girlfriend, he said, "See you Sunday, Delilah."

"See you Sunday," The Gryffindor grinned back, giving him a soft kiss.

Dexter deepened the kiss slightly, but both knew that it would be dangerous to try to snog in the middle of Delilah's boy-infested house, so he stepped back, smiled down at her, and went home.

Delilah silently pumped her fist in the air in triumph before darting up to her room to polish her broomstick.

The doorbell rang in the McPhee household at exactly eleven o'clock in the morning on Sunday, and Delilah dashed down to answer it. She opened the door and was greeted with a light kiss on the cheek. "Morning," Dexter said cheerily, holding his broomstick in one hand.

"G'morning," Delilah smiled up at him. "Hold on, let me go get my broomstick, and then we can go."

"Sure thing," Dexter said as his girlfriend rushed upstairs to grab her broomstick. She was back down in almost less than a minute.

"Okay, let's go!" Delilah exclaimed excitedly. "My parents went to the grocery store, and my brothers are all Merlin knows where, so I already said goodbye to them."

"Okay. We'll be Apparating," Dexter told her. "Are you okay with that?"

"Yep!"

"Great. Just grab my arm." Delilah took Dexter's offered arm. The Ravenclaw snapped his fingers, and they were gone.

"This is _amazing_," Delilah laughed, flying around and around Dexter's uncle's backyard. "I really missed flying!"

"Me, too!" Dexter sped over to her. "Want to have a race?"

"Oh, you think you can beat me, can you?" Delilah chuckled. "We'll see about that. Race around the whole yard?"

"Deal. On three. One… Two… Three!"

The two teenagers whooshed through the air, merely blurs to any onlookers. They were each going their fastest, the wind whipping their faces as they zoomed. They were almost equal in speed; occasionally, one would fall behind a tad; but they would quickly catch up again.

Finally, Delilah pulled her broom to a stop, beating Dexter by a mere second.

"That was fun," Delilah panted, smiling broadly.

"Yeah," Dexter agreed. "You're a damn good flyer, you know that, right?"

"Yeah, I know," Delilah replied, beaming with pleasure at the compliment. "You're not too bad yourself." She elbowed him playfully from on top of her broomstick.

"Why, thank you," Dexter chuckled. He stared at his girlfriend, the wind whipping her brown hair around her face, her grin reaching all the way up to her eyes, her golden eyes alight with excitement and happiness. She looked so at ease up in the sky; all of her features were relaxed and peaceful. To Dexter, an angel couldn't have been more gorgeous. "You're beautiful, you know that?" Dexter said before he could stop himself.

"No, I'm not," Delilah shook her head and looked down, blushing.

Dexter leaned forward a bit and lifted her chin up, forcing her to look him in the eye. "Yes, you are," he insisted, and kissed her. The kiss started out light, but quickly turned into a passionate battle of the tongues, their lips moving perfectly in sync. Only when Delilah wobbled a bit on her broom did they break apart, both blushing, but grinning widely.

That moment, they both knew that they loved each other. And the best part? They didn't even have to say it. Each other already knew.

"C'mon, Frank!" Alice laughed, pulling her boyfriend ahead of their parents. "I need to buy a new swimsuit!"

"And why are you taking me with you?" Frank asked amusedly.

"I need someone to tell me how I look in the swimsuits," Alice answered. "But if you want, I can ask my mum to tell me how the different swimsuits look on me instead…"

"No!" Frank exclaimed. He was _not _going to pass up the opportunity to see his girlfriend in a swimsuit. "I'd love to help you."

"I thought so," Alice chuckled. The couple entered the Muggle swimsuit shop, their parents a little ways behind them. Luckily, Lily and Mary had taken Alice to Muggle stores before, so she knew how to pay with Muggle money. The two immediately found the girls' swimsuit section, and after about ten minutes, Alice pulled three bikinis (to Frank's utter, evident delight; Alice slapped him playfully) off the rack.

"I'll wait out here," Frank said, sitting down in a chair outside the fitting room.

"See you soon," Alice smiled and went into the fitting room. A few minutes later, she came back out, and Frank thanked his lucky stars that she was his girlfriend. The yellow bikini fit her just right, and the blue stars brought out her eyes. Not to mention it showed just enough skin for Frank (being your average hormonal teenager) to check the corner of his mouth for drool, but not enough to make him pass out. "So, how do you like it?" Alice asked nervously.

"I love it," Frank grinned. "It looks stunning on you."

Alice blushed. "Oh, you're sweet, Frank! Thanks. I like it, too; I think I'll get this one."

"Do you think you should try on the other ones just in case?" Frank suggested.

"That's probably a good idea," Alice admitted. "Okay, I'll do that. Be back in a few." She darted back into the fitting room, and came back out a few minutes later wearing green-and-white striped bikini. This one showed the same amount of skin and looked almost as good on Alice, except the colors didn't compliment her as well. "What do you think?" Alice inquired.

"I think that you look absolutely beautiful," Frank began, "but the blue on the last bikini brought out your eyes more." He silently praised his tact, thanking his mother for giving him a lesson on how to compliment girls.

"You know, I think you have a point," Alice mused, looking at herself in the mirror. "Yes, I still like the first one best. I'll go try on the last one now." She returned to the fitting room and when she came back out, Frank had to take a few deep breaths to keep from fainting. The bikini showed considerably more skin and cleavage, and its red hue dragged eyes to it.

A passing boy wolf-whistled at Alice. "Hey, babe, want to go to my place?" he called to Alice suggestively. Frank growled at him instinctively, stood up and put his arm around his girlfriend's bare waist.

"She's with me, arsehole. Leave her alone," he yelled back at the boy, glaring fiercely.

"C'mon, sexy, you can do better than _him_!" The Muggle boy shouted at Alice, his eyes more on her chest than her face. Noticing this, Alice crossed her arms over her chest.

"Actually, I beg to differ," Alice replied calmly to the boy. "I doubt that there's a boy in the world who's better than him- _certainly _not a jackarse like _you_. Now I'd appreciate it if you'd go away and leave me alone."

"Whatever you say, babe," the boy shot back. "If you decide to take up my offer, call me. 224-5896." He winked at Alice and then walked away.

Frank growled at his retreating figure, but was cut off with a kiss from his girlfriend. "What was that for?" He asked her, his mood considerably better.

"That was for defending me," she smiled. "It was very sweet of you. Thanks."

"Just doing my duty," Frank grinned. "It's a boyfriend's job to stand up for his girl. It's too bad we're surrounded by Muggles, though- I'd love to see his face if I stuck my wand in his face and turned him into the pig he is."

Alice giggled. "As funny as that sounds, Frank, I don't want to have to visit you in Azkaban." She stepped back and continued, "I think I'm going to buy the first swimsuit."

"I think that's a great idea," Frank told her, releasing her waist from his grip. "I'll be waiting for you."

Alice giggled again and gave him a soft, chaste kiss before prancing back into the fitting room, leaving Frank to wonder what on earth he had done to deserve such a wonderful girl.

_**We got to take a look at other girls' summers! Now, I know you're wondering why I haven't put Lily in. I have two reasons:**_

**_1. She already had a chapter all to herself about her summer!_**

**_2. One of the upcoming chapters is all about her._**

**_Whereas, Mary, Delilah, and Alice don't have chapters to themselves. We can't just pretend they don't exist, though, can we?_**

**_PLEASE review! I only need two more to get 280! By the way, I have OVER 15,000 HITS! THANK YOU ALL SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO MUCH!_**

**_Thanks a bunch for reading, and, again, I'm BEGGING you to review!_**

**_-Joelle8_**


	33. In Which Zevi is Lost

In Which Zevi Is Lost

"REMUS JOHN LUPIN! JAMES ROBERT POTTER! SIRIUS ORION BLACK! GET YOUR LAZY ARSES DOWN HERE RIGHT NOW BEFORE I HAVE TO _KICK _THEM DOWN HERE! AND YOU KNOW I'LL DO IT!" Scarcely half a minute after Sasha's furious declaration, all three boys were out-of-breath in front of her.

"Sasha," Remus panted, "what's wrong?"

In response, she glared at the each of the three boys in turn. "Which one of you did it?"

"Which one of us did _what_?" James asked confusedly.

"Don't play dumb!" Sasha snapped, fire burning in her angry brown eyes. "Which one of you took Zevi?"

"Why would we take your demon dog?" Sirius snorted, trying to lighten the situation. Sasha turned on him, eyes narrowed fiercely. He shrunk back. _Note to self: Don't try to lighten the situation when Sasha's angry, _he muttered in his head.

"It was you, wasn't it?" she accused. "You've _never _liked Zevi! You took him, to annoy me! You did!"

"What? I didn't do that!" Sirius exclaimed insulted.

"Liar!" Sasha shot back. "Liar, liar, _liar_! Liar, liar, pants on fire! Now give me back my wolf!"

"I can't give you back your wolf if I don't _have _your wolf!" Sirius shouted, his face a mixture of exasperation and frustration.

"GIVE ME BACK MY ZEVI!" Sasha yelled, her mahogany eyes taking a reddish tinge in fury. "GIVE ME MY WOLF BACK!"

"I DON'T HAVE YOUR GODDAMN WOLF!" Sirius screamed at her. "Why the hell do you think I stole your wolf? We've been on good terms for the past week! Why would I want to ruin that?"

Sasha opened her mouth as if about to say something, and then closed it, deciding against it. She took a deep breath and began pulling her hair. James and Sirius looked at her oddly, and Remus explained to them, "She pulls her hair when she's really, really upset." Turning to his almost-sister, the werewolf ordered, "Calm down, Sasha. Take a deep breath… good. And another… good. Now, how about you tell us what happened? We can help you look for Zevi."

Sasha nodded, took another deep breath, and spoke, "I woke up and looked at Zevi's bed, since it's right next to me, on my bedside table, and he wasn't there. I checked my whole bedroom for him, but I couldn't find him. I would've asked Tita if she'd seen him, but I gave her this morning off, for a family reunion. Then I came down here, and looked for him here and in the kitchen and in the entrance hall and in the bathroom. I still couldn't find him. Then I called you guys."

"So you've only looked for him in your bedroom, the bathroom, here in the dining hall, the entrance hall, and the kitchen?" James questioned. Sasha nodded, and he continued, "Why'd you call us if you've only looked for him in three places? There are plenty of more places to look for him! Your house is gigantic!"

"Exactly why I called you," Sasha said. "I can't look through this whole bloody mansion by myself! You guys would be gone before I finished!"

"Point taken," Sirius admitted. "Have you tried Summoning him?"

"Summoning rarely works on live things, Black," Sasha told him irritably, "but I guess it's worth a shot. Accio Zevi!" She waited for a moment, but no miniature wolf came zooming through the air to her. She began pulling her hair in frustration again.

"Remember, Sasha: deep breaths. Let's split up and search the place, okay?" Remus suggested. "We can each take a different Wing. I'll look in the Wing of Rooms, James can look in the Wing of Athletics, Sirius can look in the Wing of Domestics, and Sasha can look in the Wing of Memories. We'll all meet back here at around five if none of us have found Zevi by then. Okay?"

"Aw, _I _wanted the Wing of Memories, Moony!" Sirius whined, a plan instantly forming in his mind. "Trade with me, Berg?"

Sasha snorted. "Haven't we been through this already, Black? Not a chance."

Sirius sighed, plopping down on a couch in the living room in the massive Wing of Domestics. Somehow, it seemed like it had grown since Sasha and Tita had taken him, James, and Remus on the tour when they first arrived. He had just finished searching for Zevi in the Wing and was, as a result, completely exhausted.

_Why'd I even agree to look for the damn demon dog in the first place? _Sirius asked himself. _It's not like I'm fond of it or anything! Far from!_

_For Sasha, _the naughty part of his brain answered. Sirius was willing to bet the entire Black family fortune that if this part of him had a face, it would be smirking at the moment.

_Ha. Ha de ha ha ha. Very funny, Brain, _Sirius replied sarcastically. _It was rhetorical anyhow._

_Hey, don't blame me. You're just blaming yourself._

_…You know, _Sirius mused thoughtfully, _I heard that talking to yourself is the first sign of going insane._

_Duh, _he snorted. Sirius shook his head, effectively ending his conversation with himself. "I'm going mad," he then mumbled to himself, with the tone of someone who had just had an epiphany. "And I'm _still _talking to myself! Gah!" He jumped up, running his hand through his hair, pleased to find it just as soft as normal, even though he hadn't had time to shower yet that day.

So, what was he supposed to do now that he hadn't found Zevi? He suddenly realized that, despite his deep loathing for the animal, he had actually wanted to find it (or, as he was sure Sasha would correct him, "him"); he found that he had wanted to see the happy, relieved look stretch across Sasha's face, seen her fierce angry turn to radiant joy, have her kiss him in appreciation-

_Wait, wait, wait. Stop. What the FUCK? I soooooooooooo do _not _want to kiss Sasha! No, no, no! _Sirius ran his hand through his hair again and took a few deep breaths, just like Remus had instructed Sasha to do earlier, calming himself down. Suddenly, he realized something: in his head, he had called her _Sasha_. Not _Berg, _but _Sasha_. Her _first name._

"Shit. This isn't good," he murmured. "I need some air." He quickly walked out of the Wing of Domestics and made his way towards the Quidditch pitch, intending to have a good, peaceful, relaxing fly, to clear his head of all of these absurd, unwelcome thoughts…

…And then he realized that in order to get to the Quidditch pitch, he had to pass the Wing of Memories.

"Aw, damn," Sirius cursed. "The House Elf told me not to go near the Wing of Memories again… Wait, since when do _I _do what a House Elf tells me to do?"

_Maybe since it was _Sasha's _House Elf who told you not to do it_. Sirius groaned out loud; why did the much-hated naughty voice have to come back? Why?

He smacked his forehead, attempting to get rid of the bad voice, to no avail. _I'm still here, _the naughty voice said in an annoying, sing-song way. It sounded oddly like James when it did this.

_What'll it take to get rid of you? _Sirius wondered, even more frustrated than he had been before.

The naughty voice replied chidingly,_ Sirius, you silly, silly boy, you _can't _get rid of me. I'm a part of you._

_Oh yeah? What part is that?_

_The part of you that's honest with yourself._

_…Right. Very funny. You keep telling me- or us- that I- we- like Sasha, and you expect me to believe that you're the part of me that's honest with myself? _Sirius actually snorted out loud at this.

_Fine, stay in denial. See what I care. You'll wish you listened to me someday. _The naughty voice said no more after this; something for which Sirius was immensely grateful.

"Thank Merlin," he mumbled to himself, having completely forgotten that it was the first sign of insanity- he probably wouldn't have even cared if he _had _remembered, though, so it didn't make much of a difference. "I thought that annoying voice would _never _go away."

He kept on walking to the Quidditch pitch, deciding that he would still go for his fly, and would just pass by the Wing of Memories. After all, it wasn't like he would be able to go in anyways. Not while Tita was around…

…But she _wasn't _around. _Didn't Sa- I mean, _Berg _say that Tita was at a family reunion or something? That means that she wouldn't be able to tell if I went into the Wing… _Sirius checked his watch; it was five minutes until five, which meant that Sasha, Remus, and James had all probably already begun heading down to the dining hall. He thought for a moment, pondering the possibilities; how long would the others wait for him before they grew fed up and went looking for him? James and Remus both knew how often he lost track of time, and that he had a bad habit of programming his watch incorrectly; they would probably insist they wait ten, maybe even fifteen minutes before going looking for him.

He would have plenty of time.

Which was why when Sirius came upon the Wing of Memories, instead of just passing by it like he had planned to do beforehand, he turned the knob, was pleased- no, ecstatic- to find that Sasha had left the door unlocked (rather foolishly; she had probably been too worried about Zevi to notice, he figured), and entered without hesitation.

As Sirius shut the door behind himself, he was plunged into total darkness. He fumbled his wand out of his pocket and whispered, "Lumos Maxima." Instantly, a ball of light appeared before him, revealing the walls of the mysterious Wing of Memories to be covered, top to bottom, with pictures.

There were different types of pictures: big ones, small ones, paintings, photographs, black and white, colorful… wherever Sirius looked, his sight was met with another picture. Looking to his left, he saw an old painting of a tall man with a long, graying beard, emerald green robes, and Sasha's sparkling brown eyes. The man eyed him suspiciously for a moment before asking loudly, "Who are you, boy? Speak!"

"Sirius Black," Sirius responded quickly, a bit unnerved by the man's stern demeanor. He had a feeling that the man and McGonagall would get along smashingly. "Er… would you mind telling me who you are?"

"Alexander Harold Berg the Second," the tall man answered proudly. "You're a Black, eh? A Slytherin, then, I presume?"

"No, Sir," Sirius shook his head before grinning broadly. "Gryffindor."

"Interesting, interesting…" Alexander murmured. "Tell me, Sirius Black, what are you doing here at the Berg Estate?"

"Well," Sirius began, "me and my two friends, James Potter and Remus Lupin, are staying here for awhile."

"Are you friends with Sasha?" Alexander questioned. Glancing around himself, Sirius saw that the other portraits were listening to the conversation intently. He gulped; for once, he didn't like being the center of attention.

"Well… er… not really, no. We have a truce for now, but we've never really seen eye-to-eye, so to speak." Sirius rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly as he heard the pictures chatting to each other, obviously not at all pleased to know that he and Sasha weren't on the best of terms.

"So I take it that my great-great-great-granddaughter did _not _grant you permission to enter the Wing of Memories?" Alexander raised an eyebrow- a trait his great-great-great-granddaughter evidently inherited, as Sirius knew from past experiences- at the young Gryffindor sternly.

"No, she didn't," he admitted. Instantly, there was a huge uproar of protests and threats from the pictures surrounding him.

"How dare you!" A black-haired witch shouted.

"Insolent little devil's spawn!" A man shook his fist at Sirius; Sirius guessed that Sasha had learned some of her vocabulary from this man.

"Bad boy!" A tiny girl who couldn't have been more than five years old glared Sasha's same intimidating glare at him before sticking her thumb back in her mouth and sucking contentedly.

"QUIET!" A portrait that stood out from the others, bigger than all the rest, shouted. Amazingly, the other pictures obeyed this portrait's command. It was clear that the woman in this portrait was universally respected by the Berg family. "Leave the poor boy alone. He was just curious, I'm sure. It's not a crime. Come here, Sirius," the woman ordered kindly. Sirius did so; something about the woman's voice was so soothing, so comforting, that he couldn't help trusting her.

He stood in front of the woman's portrait and all but gaped at it. The woman was the female version of Godric Gryffindor, in every single way. The cat-like green eyes; the wild brick red hair; the broad smile that Sasha also wore; the dimpled chin; Sirius remembered seeing every physical trait of this woman in the portraits of Godric Gryffindor from the book in Professor McGonagall's office. "Who _are _you?" Sirius asked in wonder.

The woman told him, "My name is Olivia."

Sirius stared at her for a moment before stating, "I saw a picture of Godric Gryffindor back at Hogwarts. You look like him."

Olivia chuckled, and yet, Sirius couldn't help but notice the nervous edge to it. "I've been told that before," she said.

"Why do you look like him?" Sirius questioned.

Olivia cocked her head at the boy before telling him, "You seem like a smart boy, Sirius. Surely you can put two and two together."

Sirius thought about what she had said. What did she mean? Logically, the only way she could possibly look so much like Godric Gryffindor was if she was descended from him; but that was impossible… wasn't it? Then again, maybe it _wasn't _so impossible; McGonagall's book had said that there was no evidence of Godric Gryffindor having any heir; but that didn't mean he didn't have one.

"Are you… I mean… is Godric Gryffindor your ancestor?" Sirius asked slowly.

Olivia beamed at him. "I knew you were a smart boy… however, you're not quite right."

Sirius frowned. "What do you mean?"

"Godric Gryffindor had an identical twin brother, Gydion. While Gydion is the less well known of the two Gryffindor brothers, he was just as good of a wizard- if not better. _Gydion _is my ancestor."

"Why doesn't anyone know about Gydion?" Sirius wondered.

The portrait of Olivia shrugged. "Nobody is quite sure, to be honest. It is suspected that Gydion and Godric never got along that well- what do you expect when two of the brightest, most skilled and talented wizards of their age are living in the same household?- and they got in a fight shortly after Godric finished schooling. About what, no one knows. We can only be sure that the two brothers never saw each other again. Godric tended not to talk about his sibling, and Gydion vice versa."

"Okay," Sirius nodded slowly, "that makes sense. So… you're _not _the Heir of Gryffindor?"

"Oh, I am. Just not the Gryffindor most people think of."

"Fair enough… but why haven't I heard of you? I'm pretty sure I would remember hearing about the Gryffindor family."

"Last names get changed over time; eventually, 'Gryffindor' changed into 'Greene'. You may have heard of my family, Sirius, being a Black; the Greene family is one of the oldest pureblood families. Then again, we're also blood traitors, since we've been in my however-so-many-greats uncle's House for centuries, so it's quite likely your parents never told you about us."

"No, they told me about the Greene family," Sirius replied, thinking back to some of the knowledge he had tried so hard to erase from his memory, "but they said that the last Greene was a Squib, and they didn't know or care what happened to her."

Olivia laughed. "They were quite right, Sirius. I'm the last Greene; and a Squib, as well."

Sirius thought for a moment, absorbing all he had just learned, before saying, "No offense, but… how can the Heir of Gryffindor be a _Squib_?"

From inside her portrait, Olivia shrugged. "Purebloods often give birth to Squibs. The Greene family is no exception, related to Gryffindor or not."

Sirius thought for a moment before realizing that he was painfully unaware of something very, very important. "Ms. Greene-"

"Olivia," the Heir of Gryffindor cut him off, "please, call me Olivia."

"Alright then, Olivia," Sirius began, "everyone in here is related to Sasha in one way or another, right?"

"Yes. Everyone in here is a dead relative of Sasha's. In fact, my husband should be arriving soon…"

Sirius ignored the redhead's musing and asked, "So… how are you related to Sasha?"

"You've already proved you're a smart boy, Sirius," Olivia said. "Surely it can't be too hard for you to guess how Sasha and I are related?"

"Well, you could be cousins, or you could be her aunt, or any number of things really," Sirius told her. "You can't blame me for not knowing, especially when you two have different last names."

"You have a point," Olivia conceded. "How about I give you a hint? Would you like that?"

"You can't just tell me how you're related?"

"No, I can't. It's much more fun this way," Olivia chortled, eyes twinkling humorously. Sirius could see where Sasha got her sense of humor.

"Okay, I'll take the hint," Sirius sighed.

"Good. Here it is: Sasha and I are very, _very _close," Olivia told Sirius. "_Now _do you know?"

Sirius pondered the hint for a moment before something clicked in his mind. In the photo on Sasha's bedside, there had been a picture of a redheaded woman. Plus, he knew that Sasha didn't have many relatives, but there was one in particular that he rarely heard her talk about… "Are you her mother?" Sirius asked.

"I knew you could figure it out!" Olivia exclaimed joyously, grinning broadly. "Yes, I'm Sasha's mum. I kept my maiden name when I married her father."

As Sirius absorbed this information, he realized something: Sasha's mother was the Heir of Gryffindor. That must mean that Sasha's big secret was that she was the…

Just then, his train of thought was cut off as Sasha rushed into the Wing, ignoring the friendly greetings the portraits gave her as she ran past. "Black!" She barked frenziedly, looking more worried than angry (though that was definitely there, too). "What are you doing here?"

Ignoring this question, Sirius instead stared at her, wide-eyed, for a moment before exclaiming, "You're the Heir of Gryffindor!"

Sasha stopped in her tracks and stood, dumbstruck, staring at Sirius with her deep brown eyes wide and unnerved. Slowly, the unnerved look in her eyes changed to one of apprehension, anger and dismay as she turned on her heel and fled the Wing of Memories.

Without a moment's hesitation, Sirius ran after her.

_**We finally know Sasha's big secret! I tried to make a bit of a twist; I hope I succeeded in surprising at least some of you!**_

**_Honestly, I don't think this is my best written chapter. But, it's alright, I hope. What do YOU think? PLEASE review! I only need 10 more to get to 300!_**

**_Thank you all SO much!_**

**_-Joelle8_**


	34. In Which Tita Saves the Day

In Which Tita Saves the Day

"Berg! Berg, WAIT!" Sirius yelled, chasing after Sasha. She was surprisingly quick, and Sirius had to run faster than he ever had before in his life to keep her in sight. Sasha ignored him, running even faster (if that was possible), wanting nothing more than to escape to her room and lock him out. Of her life. For good.

_I can't believe it, _she thought, dumbfounded. _He found out my secret. _Sirius Black _found out my secret! He knows I'm the descendant of Gydion Gryffindor! This is _not _good; not good at all… _

Sasha came up to a stairway and leaped up, two at a time. Sirius, unable to do this because of his lack of flexibility, lost sight of her, and cursed under his breath. At the top of the stairs he paused, catching his breath. "Merlin, she's fast," he panted to himself. "Let's see… if I were Berg, where would I go if I was upset?" He thought for a moment, and came up with an answer. "I bet she's going to her room!" he realized, and set off for Sasha's bedroom.

Knowing that she had gotten Sirius off her tail, Sasha slowed to a walk, slightly out of breath herself. This gave her enough peace of mind to think about what had happened. _Shit, _she swore internally. _Shit, shit, shit, shit, shit, shit, shit, shit, shit, shit, shit, shit, shit, shit, shit, shit, shit, shit, shit, shit, shit, shit. This is bad. So, so bad. Does Black even realize how much danger he's just put himself in? No, of course he doesn't, because he's a bloody idiot._

_A hot idiot, _the part of Sasha's brain that she tended to block out interjected. It sounded a bit like Lily.

_Yeah. Right. Whatever. He's hot, yeah. But he's still an idiot. _

_A startlingly handsome idiot, though…_

_Focus, Sasha, _she reminded herself. _This is NOT about how good looking Sirius Black is! Besides, you don't fancy him! You don't!_

_Sure, keep telling yourself- or should I say 'us'- that, _the Lily-voice piped in again.

_What part of my brain _are _you, anyway? _Sasha asked the Lily-voice.

_The part you don't like to listen to._

_So _that's _why you sound like Lily! _Sasha chuckled.

Suddenly, she heard footsteps coming up behind her, and remembered why she was running to her room and away from Sirius. The smile vanished from her face as quickly as it had come, and she quickened her pace to an easy jog. Sasha chanced glancing behind herself for a brief moment, which proved to be a mistake; as soon as Sirius caught her eye, he shouted, "Oi! Berg!" and began running to catch up with her.

As soon as Sirius began running, Sasha knew that walking- for any amount of time- had been foolish. "Damn," she cursed as she galloped to her room, hearing Sirius' footsteps getting ever closer to her.

Finally, she was in the Wing of Rooms. She could see her rather oddly painted door, and smiled at its familiarity. She pumped her arms back in forth, running faster than she ever had before. Her arm was outstretched, reaching for the doorknob…

…When Sirius finally caught up with her, grabbed her hand, and pulled her back.

"Let go of me, Black," Sasha growled. Sirius' grip only tightened.

"I'm afraid I can't do that, Berg," Sirius replied. "I think you and I both know that you have some explaining to do."

"What more do you need to know?" Sasha asked irritably. "You know my secret. You know that I'm Gydion Gryffindor's descendant. Isn't that enough? Or must you continue to pry into my personal life?"

"Why is it such a big deal?" Sirius questioned, still gripping Sasha's wrist, taking a step closer to her. "So your ancestor is Gydion Gryffindor. So what?"

"Are you _really _as much of an idiot as I've suspected the past six years?" Sasha responded disbelievingly. "You said it yourself, Black: my ancestor is _Gydion Gryffindor_. Brother of Godric Gryffindor. One of the most powerful wizards of his time, whether people know it or not. Now use your peanut-sized brain for once in your life and think!" She hissed, taking a step closer to Sirius as well.

Sirius thought for a moment before he declared, "I take it you were hinting something when you said Gryffindor was powerful?"

"No," Sasha rolled her eyes sarcastically. "Bloody hell, _duh_!"

"So… does that mean that you're powerful, too?"

Sasha said nothing in reply. Instead, to Sirius' surprise, she just closed her eyes, breathing deeply. He was wishing that he could see her beautiful brown eyes when he felt something enter his mind. The experience was entirely new to him; it was as if an ice cold snake had slithered into his thoughts, reading them like a book. The idea unnerved him, and he was only too relieved when a few minutes later he felt the unwelcome presence exit his mind.

"You underestimate me already," Sasha stated, just opening her eyes. Sirius was instantly suspicious; why was it that his mind had been invaded when Sasha had closed her eyes, but the invader had exited just before Sasha had opened her eyes?

"What do you mean?" Sirius asked, making sure not to let his suspicions show through his features.

"You were right when you guessed that I'm powerful," Sasha said slowly, "but you think that by 'powerful,' I just mean that I'm an exceptionally good witch- which is true. But I'm much, much more than that."

"How did you know what I was thinking?" Sirius inquired wondrously.

"Legilimency," Sasha answered. "Didn't you feel something enter your mind? It was me, thank you very much. It was quite easy, too, actually; you, and the rest of Hogwarts, known nothing in the ways of Occlumency."

"You know _Legilimency_?" Sirius gaped. "Since when?"

"First Year," Sasha replied, letting out a humorless chuckle at Sirius' wide-eyed expression. "Really, Black, you should stop being surprised by me by now. Especially considering you know my secret. Which, by the way, you will not tell anyone."

"Oh? What makes you so sure of that?" Sirius teased, taking a step forward. He and Sasha were now easily as close as he and his "flavors" tended to be; something that sent a shiver up his spine.

"I've already told you that you underestimate me," Sasha spoke, "and I would've thought that after being told that, you would've opened your mind a tad more. But, as you have not, I suppose I'll have to explain everything to you."

"Yes. Yes you will."

While this comment usually would've made even Sasha laugh- Sirius was, generally, extraordinarily good at timing what he said to make even the most boring lines funny- she felt no struggle to fight the nonexistent laugh. "I'm a Legilimens and an Occlumens," Sasha told Sirius. "I can do magic without showing any sign of it whatsoever. I can control the elements- fire, earth, water and air. I can control the actions of people and animals without even using a spell. If I want something to happen, it happens- whether there's a spell for it or not. And that's not even half of what I can do."

Sirius raised his eyebrows skeptically. "Sounds a bit far-fetched, if you ask me."

"Of course it does," Sasha responded. "You're a relatively normal person, disregarding the numerous insults I've thrown at you in the past. All of the kinds of stuff I can do? You've probably never even heard of most of it. Hell, _I _only know about it because of Dumbledore, and Merlin knows how _he _knows it!"

"Is that what you do every time you meet with Dumbledore?" Sirius inquired. "He trains you?"

Sasha nodded. "Every Thursday, since First Year. I'm surprised you're the first one who's noticed, honestly."

"None of your friends have noticed?"

"Nope."

"Evans?"

"No."

"McPhee?"

"Hell no."

"Macdonald."

"…Not that I know of, but she may just be being tactful."

"Prewett?"

"Nu-uh."

"…You realize that this means I'm smarter than your friends, right?"

"No, you're really not," Sasha contradicted. "You may be less ignorant, in this one way; but you're not smarter."

"Ignorance, intelligence, same difference," Sirius waved Sasha's comment away. "So, Berg, want to show me any of your special talents?"

"I already showed you my Legilimency," Sasha reminded him. "I don't feel the need to show you anything more."

"Then how am I supposed to know whether or not you're telling the truth?" Sirius pointed out.

Sasha replied, "I guess you're just going to have to trust my word for once, Black, because there's no way in hell I'm showing you any of my powers. You're already in danger as it is."

Sirius frowned in confusion. "How could you showing me your powers endanger me? Speaking of which, how am I in danger?"

Sasha thought for a moment before answering, "I told you from the beginning that you were in over your head, Black. I said it for a reason. I'm dangerous- more dangerous than you could imagine. How do you think I put Snivellus in St. Mungo's when I was just a Fifth Year? There's a reason why I'm so dangerous when I'm angry- when I'm angry, _really _angry, I can't control my powers. If I wanted to, I could _kill _someone, Black- without lifting a finger." Sasha paused, letting the information sink in before continuing. "If I showed you my powers, then I'd be telling you even more about myself than you already know. In fact, I've probably already told you too much. The less you know, the safer you are."

"But if I know more, couldn't I protect myself better?" Sirius remarked.

Sasha shook her head slowly. "You're in less danger from me than you are from the Death Eaters." Seeing Sirius' confused expression, she sighed and explained, "The Death Eaters… they know that Gryffindor has a descendant, and they have their suspects. Unfortunately, one of those suspects is me. That's why they came here, over the summer… they were looking for me. They didn't find me; their petty spells are no match for mine. But… they found my dad… and… well, you know what happened with him." Sasha took a deep, shaky breath, choking back a sob, and added, "It's my fault that my dad d-d-died." She looked down at the ground, partly in shame and partly to hide the tears forming in her eyes.

Sirius placed his hand on her chin and pushed her head up, forcing her to look him in the eye. "Listen to me, Berg," he said firmly. "It's not your fault that your dad died." Sasha was about to disagree, but before she could, Sirius placed one finger on her lips to silence her and continued, "If it's anyone's fault, it's the Death Eaters'. _Not _yours."

"It is," Sasha insisted once Sirius removed his finger from her lips (even though they were tantalizingly soft). "If I wasn't Gryffindor's descendant, then-"

"Why are you blaming yourself for something that clearly isn't your fault?" Sirius cut her off. "It's not your fault that you're the Heir of Gryffindor- hell, it's not even a bad thing! It's _who you are_, and there's nothing anyone can do about that. It's not even something that anyone should _want _to do something about."

The two were silent for a few moments, staring into each other's eyes. Tingles ran up the both of their spines like tiny, ticklish electric shocks. Finally, Sasha spoke shakily, "Why have you always been the one to help me lately?"

"Someone has to," Sirius shrugged. "I've just always been the first one on the scene."

"…I suppose I should thank you again," Sasha mused.

"Yes, you should," Sirius told her jokingly.

Sasha smiled (yes, actually _smiled _at _Sirius Black_) and poked his chest playfully, stepping back a bit and letting the hand holding her chin fall to the ground as she tried not to think about how unbelievably muscular his chest was. "You know, just because you said that, I'm not going to," she decided.

Sirius chuckled, "I wouldn't have expected anything less from you, Berg."

Sasha laughed, and the two entered an unusually comfortable silence, each immersed in their thoughts. Eventually, Sasha said uneasily, "You won't… you know… tell anyone about me being Gydion Gryffindor's descendant, will you?"

"'Course not!" Sirius exclaimed. "Why would I? Believe it or not, Berg, you haven't done anything recently to put yourself on my bad side. I don't have any reason to ruin your life and put you in a hell of a lot of danger."

"…You know you're in danger too, right?" Sasha asked anxiously. "If anyone like the Death Eaters figure out that you know my secret, they'd try to kidnap you; or something even worse. I'm warning you now."

"Chill, Berg," Sirius told her. "I know the dangers. I'm fine with them. After all, I'm a Gryffindor for a reason."

"Don't be so confident," Sasha warned him agitatedly. "Something could always go wrong. It's best to always be on guard."

Sirius cocked his head and took a step closer to her. "You've got to have _some _confidence, Berg, or else you end up wasting your whole life worrying about what _could _happen, about the worst case scenarios. Even though the worst case scenarios rarely ever happen."

"I know, it's just… I can't help worrying, you know?"

"No, I _don't _know," Sirius replied, taking another step towards Sasha so that they were even closer than they had been before. He could smell her intoxicating vanilla-scented shampoo, could practically feel the warmth radiating off her body, could see every detail of her smooth, porcelain face. Acting on impulse, Sirius reached forward and tucked a few unruly strands of Sasha's hair behind her ear, letting his hand linger on her cheek.

Sasha's breath hitched in her throat. Sirius' hand was warm, and felt good on her cold skin. Looking up into his eyes, she could feel his hot breath washing over her face, could see the different shades of grey in his intriguing eyes, could smell his alluring musky cologne. The two seventeen-year-olds were only centimeters away from each other when they heard someone clear their throat in the doorway of the Wing. They sprang apart instantly, both blushing furiously, and turned to face a smirking James and a beaming Remus.

"Well, well, well. What do we have here?" James asked mischievously.

"Nothing," Sasha replied. "I thought a saw a bug on Black's face, that's all; I was just checking to see whether or not I was right, and I couldn't very well do that from a distance, could I?"

"Oh really?" Remus questioned in a tone that clearly implied that he didn't believe Sasha's lie one bit. "If that's the case, why was Sirius' hand on your cheek?"

Sasha shrugged. "I dunno; why don't you ask him?" She turned to Sirius, her eyes clearly saying, _Make something up, quick._

"I saw some dirt on her cheek," Sirius told his friends. "I was brushing it off." Inwardly, he applauded his ability to make up such a good explanation on-the-spot.

"I still don't believe you," James stated. "You two didn't look like you were just checking for dirt and bugs; what did it look like to you, Moony?"

Remus' eyes glinted devilishly. "If you ask me, Prongs, it looked like our good friends Padfoot and Sasha were about to snog each other." Remus' grin grew broader as both Sirius and Sasha blushed faintly.

"Why, mate, it looked like that to me, too!" James exclaimed, his eyes containing the same wicked glint as Remus' did. "What a coincidence! Unless… that's what was actually going on?" He and Remus both turned to face their fellow Gryffindors, their stares clearly saying, _Answers. Now. Don't lie, we'll know._

"What are you two doing up here, anyway?" Sasha changed the subject hurriedly.

"You had taken awhile to go get Sirius," Remus told her. "We decided to check to make sure you two were okay-"

"Which you _obviously_ were," James interjected, waggling his eyebrow suggestively. "Also, Tita's back… and she brought someone with her."

As if on cue, the House Elf rushed into the Wing, holding something small and furry in her hands. "Mistress Sasha, oh, please forgive Tita!" She begged. "Tita is sorry! Tita is bad House Elf; she should've written note for Mistress Sasha, she should've!"

"What are you talking about, Tita?" Sasha asked, bewildered.

"Tita took Mistress Sasha's pet to get bath from Tita's House Elf friend! Tita is sorry, Mistress Sasha, so, so sorry!" Tita held her hands out to Sasha, revealing a clean, fluffy miniature wolf that barked joyfully when it saw its owner.

"Zevi!" Sasha shouted in excitement, gently taking her pet from Tita. "Oh, I missed you! I was so worried!" In reply, Zevi licked her nose and barked happily again. Sasha placed him on her shoulder and he curled up next to her contentedly.

"Please forgive Tita, Mistress Sasha!" Tita pleaded. "Tita will do anything!"

"Calm down, Tita," Sasha told her House Elf, who instantly did as she was ordered. "You didn't do anything wrong. Zevi needed a wash anyways. Just make sure you tell me the next time you're going to do something like that, okay?"

"Oh, good Mistress Sasha, kind Mistress Sasha! Sweet Mistress is just like her father, may Master rest in peace! Oh, Tita will tell you next time, Tita promises!" The House Elf exclaimed joyously, her violet eyes glimmering with unshed happy tears. "Mistress Sasha and guests must be hungry! Tita go make dinner now!" With that, Tita scurried away, still beaming in relief.

Sasha's grin was even bigger than her House Elf's, and it made Sirius smile to see her so happy. "Well," she began, "I'm going to go spend time with my wolf! Bye, boys!"

"Bye," they chorused back, going to their own rooms.

Sirius went into his room last, and he couldn't resist throwing Sasha a wink and flashing her a charming smile before he did so. Sasha rolled her eyes, pretending that she didn't find his smile- everything about him, actually- extremely attractive, and then went into her room.

Upon entering their different rooms, Sirius and Sasha both sat down on their beds, thinking the same thing, remembering how close they had been: _What the bloody hell just happened?_

_**YAY! I'm sure that you all liked the Sirius/Sasha as much as I did! They were SO CLOSE! James and Remus just HAD to barge in right then... *glowers and throws tomatoes at the aforementioned characters angrily* Ah, well. I suppose it's my own fault.**_

**_So... WHAT DID YOU THINK? PLEASE REVIEW!_**

**_Speaking of reviews..._**

**_I got FIFTEEN for the last chapter! Already! Thank you all so much!_**

**_Thanks for reading, and, again, PLEASE review! It makes the little people in my head go round!_**

**_-Joelle8_**


	35. In Which James Finds a Photograph

In Which James Finds a Photograph

It was the day that Sirius, James and Remus were leaving Berg Estate- and Sasha.

Their two-week-long stay there had been nothing short of fantastic; Sasha was a gracious host, if a rather odd one, and when you weren't on her bad side, she proved to be one of those people who you couldn't get enough of. Sirius found, to his surprise, that Sasha- not the Quidditch pitch, not the wonderful food, not the plush lifestyle, but _Sasha_- had been his favorite part of his visit. Of course, he never admitted this- but James and Remus knew anyways. They were just surprised that Sasha hadn't noticed.

Sirius woke up at ten o'clock on the day he was returning to the Potters' house with a heavy sigh. His departure was, he felt, bittersweet- on the up side, he'd be returning to his own family; on the down side, he had to leave Sasha, and for some reason, he was immensely reluctant to do that. He didn't fancy her or anything- certainly not, that was as preposterous as the thought of Lily ever agreeing to go out with James- but, all the same, he didn't want to leave her just yet.

Whistling- just because he could- Sirius made his way to the magnificent bathroom. To his surprise, he heard water running. Assuming it was Remus or James, he knocked on the door as a warning of his coming in, opened the door…

…and saw a towel hanging in midair.

"Bloody hell!" Sirius exclaimed. "James, is that you, with the towel?"

"No, you idiot, it's me!" The voice of Sasha hissed.

"Berg? Where are you?" Sirius asked, looking around the bathroom for her.

"Here, of course," Sasha waved the towel in the air, so he'd know where she stood.

"But there's no one there!" Sirius declared.

Sasha rolled her eyes- not that Sirius could see that, of course. "It's called a Disillusionment Charm, Black. Oh, and by the way, you should really learn to _wait to use the bathroom when the water's running_! Or at least _knock_, for Merlin's sake!"

"I thought it was Remus or James!" Sirius defended himself. "You're never up this early!"

Sasha sighed and shrugged. The towel was moving now, being wrapped around Sasha's invisible body from chest to mid-thigh. Sirius found himself watching it in fascination, knowing that Sasha's naked body was behind it, the mere thought making his heart race and his palms sweat. "You three are leaving at eleven; I figured I might as well see you off," Sasha explained. "I decided to shower beforehand."

"That makes sense," Sirius admitted. "Do you think you can, y'know, Illusion yourself again, or whatever? It's sort of hard to talk to you when you're invisible."

"I don't see why not," Sasha stated, and an instant later, her whole wet body- except for the part of her covered in a towel- was visible. "Better?"

Sirius did not respond; he was too preoccupied with staring at Sasha. Her dark ringlets of hair became even curlier when they were wet, even though he hadn't thought that was possible, and the water made her locks shine. Freshly awakened from the shower, Sasha's big brown eyes were wide-open and sparkling with liveliness and good spirits. But, though Sirius was (slightly) ashamed to admit it, the most striking part about her was her _body_. From mid-thigh down, he could see every inch of her long, toned, glistening legs; and even though her torso was covered by the towel, he could still see far more cleavage than he ever had before, not to mention the outline of her slim, curvy figure.

Sasha chuckled at her fellow Gryffindor's expression. She had suspected that he would react in this manner: gaping, blatantly checking her out, awestruck, slightest tinge of drool on the corner of his mouth, eyes wide and surveying every detail he could see. It was actually rather flattering, and she felt pleasure well up in her. Honestly, she was surprised he hadn't pounced on her already, and inwardly applauded his self-restraint. Despite how funny the situation was, however, the staring _was _getting a bit annoying- not to mention very, very awkward.

Making sure one of her hands had a firm grip on her towel, holding it up, Sasha snapped her fingers on the other hand, shouting, "Oi! Black! Snap out of it!"

Sirius blinked a few times and shook his head, exiting his trance. "Sorry," he apologized, blushing faintly.

"No problem," Sasha assured him. Going to her room, she passed Sirius on her way to the door, and murmured quietly, smirking, "It's not your fault I'm sexy," before crossing the hall to her room.

"Yes, yes you are," Sirius agreed once he was sure she was out of ear shot, staring at her bedroom door, the image of her towel-clad body still prominent in his mind.

Remus found his friend in that same position ten minutes later, and smirked at the look on his face amusedly. "Padfoot, why are you staring at Sasha's door with a dazed look on your face?"

This question finally snapped Sirius out of his long stare, and he turned to the werewolf, calmly claiming, "Moony, you might want to get your vision checked. I wasn't staring at Berg's door, and I _certainly _did not have a dazed look on my face."

Remus arched his eyebrows. "Yeah. Sure. Whatever you say, Padfoot, whatever you say. Now, what happened?"

Sirius sighed; Remus, along with James, were the only two people in the world he had tried to lie to but hadn't ever been believed. They just knew him too well. "I… well…" He began slowly, awkwardly rubbing the back of his neck. "I went to the bathroom… and Sasha was there…"

"And?" Remus prodded.

"And… well… she was wearing a towel."

"So?"

"Wait, let me fix that: she was _just _wearing a towel," Sirius amended, looking at Remus pointedly. The werewolf burst out laughing.

"I should've known," Remus chuckled. "So, seeing Sasha scantily clad was too much for you, the Great Sirius Black, notorious womanizer of Hogwarts, huh?"

"No!" Sirius protested. "I was just… caught off guard, that's all!"

"You know, the first step to acceptance is denial," Remus told his friend wisely, smirking knowingly.

"Wha- I- no- what do yo- oh, screw you, Moony!" Sirius groaned, frustrated, leaving his werewolf friend in the hallway and going to his room.

Remus just chuckled, going back to his own room. _I wonder when Sirius will realize just how much he likes Sasha, _he mused as he went. _Until then… it'll be amusing, to say the least!_

"Prongs!"

"Oi, James!"

"Get out here, Prongs!"

Sasha, Remus and Sirius had been trying to get James to come out of his room for seven minutes, and had received no response. In fact, had they not heard a wistful sigh from inside the room, they would've conducted a full-blown search around Berg Estate for him.

"That's it, I'm kicking this door down," Sirius stated firmly.

"Oi!" Sasha exclaimed in protest, pulling him back by his elbow before he could kick the door. "This is _my home_, and there's no way in hell I'm letting you damage any of it!"

"Well, how else are we supposed to get him out of there?" Sirius asked exasperatedly.

Sasha rolled her eyes. "Black, you're a wizard, in case you don't already know. A _legal _wizard, in fact, meaning that you- as well as the rest of us- can use magic outside of Hogwarts!"

"Oh. Right," Sirius blinked, looking adorably oblivious (in Sasha's opinion). "My wand's in my trunk, though!"

"Then get it out!" Sasha nearly yelled. "You should have your wand ready to use at all times! Put it in your pocket, or somewhere you can get to it easily. That goes for you, too, Brother," she added, turning to look at Remus sternly.

"Er- right. I'm going to get my wand out of my trunk now…" Remus muttered embarrassedly, going to get his wand.

Sasha rolled her eyes. "Well, since apparently I'm the only one here who's actually prepared for something, _I'll _open the door." She lifted her wand out of her back pocket on her marvelous arse (as Sirius observed; not that he was staring at it or anything…), pointed it at James' bedroom door, and proclaimed, "Alohomora."

The lock on the door clicked, and Sasha pulled it open. There, sitting on his bed with his fully packed trunk next to him and staring at a photo in his hands lovingly, was James.

"Oh, no," Sasha groaned as soon as she saw him holding the photo. "I _knew _I should've taken that photo out of here."

"Why?" Remus asked. "What's the picture of?"

"You'll see," Sasha replied grimly before walking over to sit next to James. "James," she said slowly, as if she was speaking to a three-year-old, "you need to come with us now. It's time for you to go home."

James' didn't respond; he just kept staring at the photo, smiling longingly.

Cautiously, Sasha reached her arm out and almost had her hand around the photo before James cried out, "NO!" and leaped to the other side of the room in just a few bounds thanks to his long legs. "You can't have it!"

"James, give it to me," Sasha ordered. "What do you think would happen if Lily found out that you had a picture of her? Remember 'Rule #8: Do not show any signs of stalking Lily; including knowing random facts about her and _having photos of her_ that she didn't give you permission to have'?"

"I don't care!" James shouted madly. "It's _my _picture; I found it, so I get to keep it! Finder's keepers, loser's weepers!" Remus, Sirius and Sasha rolled their eyes at how much he sounded like a whiny toddler.

Sirius walked over to his friend and snuck a look at the photo, and he automatically knew why James was already so attached to it. In the photograph was Lily Evans- in Fifth Year, from the looks of it- smiling, carefree and happy, the wind blowing her fiery hair and the fallen autumn leaves so that they swirled around her head, creating a colorful halo.

"He's never going to give this up," Sirius remarked matter-of-factly, turning to Sasha and Remus. "Come take a look, Moony." Remus did so, and his reaction was similar to Sirius'.

"I'm afraid that you're going to lose this picture, Sister," Remus chortled lightly, shaking his head at James, who had resumed him staring at the picture of his beloved.

"Not if I can help it; that's the best one I have of her!" Sasha exclaimed. "Give it here, James!"

"No!" James refused yet again, pulling the photo closer to him and pressing it against his chest.

"I'll make you a copy," Sasha offered. "Just give me the photo back first."

James surveyed Sasha suspiciously. "How do I know you'll give me the photo back?"

"I promise I will," Sasha spoke.

"Make the Oath," James ordered. "The Oath to Merlin."

The Oath to Merlin was the most binding promise a person could make besides an Unbreakable Vow. It tended to be more commonly used, as you only got a severe case if boils of you broke your Oath, rather than losing your life.

"Deal," Sasha stated, sticking out her hand for James to take. He took it, and she recited, "I, Sasha Olivia Berg, daughter of Harry Joseph Berg and Olivia Michaela Greene, solemnly swear to Merlin that after James Robert Potter gives me the photograph he is currently holding of Lily Amaryllis Evans, I will make a copy of it and give it back to him immediately afterwards." An orange glow surrounded the pair's entwined hands before slowly fading away, sealing the Oath.

James drew away his hand first and handed the photo to Sasha. "Make a copy- quick, please." It was clear that being away from the picture pained him.

Sasha waved her wand, murmured "Effingeo," and in the blink of an eye, held two completely identical photographs. She handed one to James, who grasped it eagerly, and put the other one in its original place: a currently empty picture frame in the bottom drawer of the dresser. She had thought that if she had put the photo there, James wouldn't have found it, and she wouldn't have had to worry about losing it; she had, unfortunately, been wrong.

"Mate, you are _so _whipped," Sirius laughed, patting his best friend on the back good naturedly.

"You really are, Prongs," Remus chuckled. To Sasha, he continued, "I'm not sure he'll be able to abide by your 'Rule #8' anytime soon."

"Not by the looks of it," Sasha responded, eyes twinkling humorously. "Does he have any other photos of Lily?"

"He used to have thirty-six, but he spilled some butterbeer on most of them when we were having a party once, so now he only has nine," Remus answered. "You should've seen him; he was bloody miserable and furious at himself once he regained consciousness, the poor chap. It really didn't help his hangover."

Sasha shook her head in disbelief. "Merlin, Lily wasn't kidding when she called him a stalker, was she?"

"Nope," Sirius and Remus said in unison.

Sasha looked at her watch and jumped in the air, startled. "Bloody hell, it's almost ten past eleven!" she exclaimed. "Your folks were expecting you home ten minutes ago!"

"Shit!" Remus, Sirius and even James (out of his Lily-trance for a bit) shouted.

"We need to get our trunks!" Remus proclaimed worriedly.

"Mum is going to freak," James moaned. Sirius nodded in agreement.

"No worries. Tita!" The House Elf appeared at Sasha's called instantly.

"What does Mistress Sasha need?" inquired, beaming, eager to serve as always.

"Take the boys' trunks down in front of the fireplace in the living room. The trunks should be in their rooms. Apparate with them one at a time; Remus, Black, James and I will meet you in the living room once you're done."

"Yes, Mistress Sasha!" Tita squeaked, putting her hand on James' trunk, snapping her fingers and disappearing- with the big trunk- with a _Pop_!

Once the House Elf was gone, Sasha turned to the boys and, taking total charge of the situation, commanded, "Okay, we're going to the living room, now. In the Wing of Domestics. You'll go home by Floo Powder. Let's go!"

The four Gryffindors swiftly made their way to the living room and, in a record time of twelve minutes, were in front of a massive flame-filled fireplace that even Hagrid could have fit inside of. Tita was already there with all of their trunks.

"Thanks, Tita. Good job," Sasha complimented the House Elf.

"Young Masters go now?" Tita asked sadly.

"Yes, Tita. The boys have been here for two weeks; it's about time for them to go home."

Tita sniffled and wiped a tear from her eye. Then, in an action that startled all the boys, she flung her tiny arms around all three of their wastes, crying, "Oh, goodbye, young Masters! Goodbye, Master Remus! Goodbye, Master James! Goodbye, Master Sirius!" Then she let go of them and looked at them tearfully one more time before Apparating back to her kitchen so she wouldn't cry any more than she already was.

After a moment of awkward silence in which Remus, Sirius and James absorbed what had just happened, Sirius commented, "Berg, that House Elf of yours might just be the oddest- but nicest- House Elf the world has ever known."

"I know," Sasha smiled fondly, thinking about Tita. "She's a tad emotional, but Tita's so sweet. She's a good friend."

"You're actually _friends _with your House Elf?" James asked incredulously.

"Of course," Sasha answered. "Why wouldn't I be?"

"Well, it's just that, most people treat their House Elves pretty badly…"

"Well, in case you haven't already realized, I'm not like most people," Sasha told him, "and I see nothing weird about being friends with your House Elf."

"Um, mates?" Remus piped in suddenly. "It's getting even later now. We should really go, before our parents worry too much."

"Right," Sasha nodded. She picked up a small velvet, silver satchel and, holding it out, questioned, "Who wants to go first?"

When nobody volunteered, Remus (after exchanging a long look with James) decided, "I'll go; James and Sirius should go one after the other, they're going to the same place."

"Good point," Sasha said, giving the satchel to Remus. "I take it you know how to use Floo Powder?"

"Yeah," Remus confirmed, pulling out a handful of glittering, silver Floo Powder and tossing it into the fireplace. The flames inside instantly turned emerald green, and he handed the satchel back to Sasha.

"Bye, Brother!" Sasha spoke, enveloping the werewolf in a bone-crushing hug which he returned (though not quite as hard).

"Bye, Sister," Remus said, smiling down at her. "I'll see you back at Hogwarts, okay?"

"Okay. Make sure to write!" Sasha called as her almost-brother walked towards the fireplace.

"I will!" Remus assured her before stepping into the emerald flames. Loudly and clearly, he declared, "4232 Churchbury Lane, Manchester, England!" With a whoosh of the fire later, the teenage werewolf was gone.

Sasha stared at the fireplace sadly for a moment, obviously missing her friend already, before turning to the remaining two boys. "Well? Who's next?"

"I'll go," James volunteered. Before Sasha could argue, he wrapped her in a hug. "I'm glad I came, Sasha," he admitted. "I'm glad we're friends now."

"Just because I'm Lily's friend, too?" Sasha teased, hugging James back for once.

"No; that's just a bonus," James laughed, letting go. Sasha let go as well and handed him the satchel of Floo Powder. He took a handful of it and threw it into the flames, which automatically turned emerald. "See you at school, Sasha. See you in a minute, Padfoot," he grinned before proclaiming, "Potter Manor, Canterbury, Kent, England!" He was gone not a minute later.

"Ready to go?" Sasha asked Sirius, looking him straight in the eye.

Sirius, knowing full well that his two friends had left him alone with Sasha on purpose and planning to kill them for it, shrugged and said, "Sure."

The Estate was nearly silent as Sirius took the satchel from Sasha's hands and casually cast a handful of Floo Powder into the fireplace. The flames turned emerald, and just as Sirius was about to step into them, he changed his mind, turned around and started, "Berg?"

"Yeah?"

"I- well- I had a good time," he admitted. "You aren't nearly as bad as I thought you were."

"Thanks," Sasha smiled. "You're a lot better than I expected, too; it was fun, having you, Remus and James here."

"You sure you're going to be okay on your own?"

"Yeah; I'll have Tita," Sasha replied. "Besides, who knows? Maybe one of my friends will pay me a visit."

"I'm sure they will," Sirius assured her, catching the hint of doubt in her tone. Then, he stuck out his hand. "So… bye, I guess."

Sasha took his offered hand and grasped it firmly, shaking it cordially. "Bye," she said, still smiling at him.

Acting on his gut instincts, Sirius surprised Sasha by pulling her closer and engulfing her in a tight hug. Once she had gotten over her shock, she tentatively hugged him back, and he- still acting on his gut instincts- buried his face in her soft hair, closing his eyes contentedly and inhaling the intoxicating vanilla scent while he could. Sasha buried her face in his muscular (a.k.a. attractive, though she'd never tell anyone she thought that) chest.

The two stood in that position for a few more minutes before they both finally stepped back, blushing slightly. Sirius smiled down at Sasha, and she responded with a smile of her own. "G'bye, Berg," he waved, before stepping into the flames and shouting the same address James had.

"Bye, Sirius," Sasha whispered once she was sure he was gone before dousing out the flames.

"That took a bit longer than I expected, mate," James remarked, his eyes glinting mischievously as Sirius stepped out of the fireplace. "You and Sasha didn't get… caught up, did you?"

"What? No!" Sirius exclaimed. "We just said goodbye. Nothing more."

"Sirius! You're home!" Mrs. Potter cried out, her face gleeful as she enveloped the young Gryffindor in a suffocating hug. She actually sniffed him before she let go. "That's strange… why do you smell like vanilla?"

Sirius blushed and scowled, "It's nothing." James snickered.

_**Yay! More Sirius/Sasha! Ah, denial...**_

**_I love James! Him and his obsession! SO funny!_**

**_PLEASE review and tell me what you think! I'd really appreciate it! They help me write!_**

**_Thanks so much for reading and (hopefull) reviewing!_**

**_-Joelle8_**


	36. In Which Lily Meets an ExFriend

In Which Lily Meets an Ex-Friend

Lily walked home from a nearby ice cream shop with a smile on her face and an ice cream cone in hand. This summer had, without a doubt, been one of the best she had ever experienced; she and her older sister had talked every day, despite Petunia now being married, and they often paid visits to each other. After six long years of being subjected to Petunia's hatred, the two Evans (or, one Evans, one Dursley, nowadays) girls were finally friends again.

She licked her strawberry ice cream, enjoying its sweet flavor. Sweet; that was what life was for her right now. Sweet. She could get used to it.

There was one thing about going to the nearby ice cream shop that Lily disliked: to get there from her house, she had to pass by Spinner's End. Up until that awful O.W.L. incident, this had been extremely convenient for her. She could pass by Spinner's End, meet up with her then-best-friend, and the two would get ice cream together; her with her strawberry, Snape with his mint chocolate chip. She would always joke that she was getting her Gryffindor colors, and he was getting his Slytherin colors, and they really ought to try each others' flavors, but they never did, and-

She stopped her train of thought abruptly. The memory saddened Lily. Even though it had been over a year since the O.W.L. incident, she still hadn't completely gotten over what Severus Snape had done to her, what he had said to her. They had been _best friends_; they had known each other since even before Hogwarts, helped each other out with absolutely anything, talked and listened to each other's problems, worked on their homework together, and sometimes just sat and thought, enjoying a companionable silence.

Feeling tears well up in her eyes, Lily pushed the memory back. She didn't want to think about the past; it wasn't as if she could change it, so why bother? No, no, it was better to focus on the future; and her future _did not _include Severus Snape. Not if she had anything to do with it.

Lily, seeing she had come to Spinner's End, quickened her pace, so she could get past it as fast as possible. She doubted that Snape would be outside- he was not the most outdoorsy type, that was for sure- but, in the off chance that he was, she didn't want to see him. She didn't want to hear his apologies yet again, see the pain in the eyes, because she wouldn't let herself be friends with a Death Eater- yes, she had accepted that that was what her childhood aimed to become- she couldn't, and if he begged for her forgiveness once more, Lily was afraid that she would break.

That day, luck was not on Lily's side. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the unmistakable lanky, black-haired figure of her former best friend, and she walked faster. Keeping an eye on Snape, she saw him notice her, and run to catch up. She would've run, but didn't want it to seem like she had been watching him; and so, she just walked even swifter.

"Lily!" Severus shouted, his voice aching with desperation. "Lily, please, wait!"

_Well, I guess there's no harm in running now, _Lily thought as she broke into a sprint. She heard Severus running behind her, and mentally cursed; she had forgotten how good a runner he was. That had always been his secret talent: running. He could run faster than anyone she had ever known, and easily outpaced her in every race that had ever had when they were younger.

In almost no time, Snape caught up with Lily and grabbed her hand, forcing her to stop. "Please, Lily, just listen to me," he begged.

Lily sighed, inwardly cursed her kindness, and turned around. "Make it quick," she barked coldly to her former best friend. "I have to get home. Tuney's coming for a visit."

"I thought your sister hated you?"

"We made up."

"That's great, Lily!" Snape exclaimed, seeming genuinely happy. But Lily knew better; he had never liked Petunia. Acting was his other secret talent, after all. She knew that he was just trying to get back on her good side.

"Don't call me 'Lily,'" she ordered, green eyes narrowed. "Only my friends are allowed to call me that, and you're _not _my friend."

Severus cringed, but accepted it. "Fine then; what _should _I call you?"

"Evans. I'm Evans to you."

"Okay, then, Evans," Snape said. "Listen, I know you don't want to keep Petunia waiting, but please- will you just listen to me, for a minute or so?"

"I've already heard what you have to say," Lily snapped angrily. "I don't accept your apology, Snape, and I never will. So you might as well save your breath."

"Please, Li- Evans," Snape began. "I didn't mean to call you a Mudblood, honest. It was just a slip of the tongue, I swear!"

"I know that it was a slip of the tongue, Snape," Lily told him. "But the fact that it was a slip of the tongue means that you had called me a Mudblood _before _that, behind my back; with those dickheads Mulciber and Avery, I'm sure. And if not me, then other people with Muggle parents."

Snape hung his head in shame, finding no flaw in her logic. "I'm so, so sorry, L- Evans," he apologized. "I'll do anything- I miss you, I miss being friends with you, I really do. Please."

Lily though for a moment before stating, "I can't forgive you, Snape. I'm sorry- part of me wants to, but I just… can't. Not while you're so involved with all the wrong causes." Snape nodded mutely, sad and disappointed, and Lily continued, "Listen, please… if you really care for me, Snape, even the tiniest bit… then you'll leave me alone."

"But, Evans-" Snape began to protest.

Lily held up her hand, cutting him off. "I think it's best if we go our separate ways, Snape. I have my own friends who I know for sure would _never _call me a Mudblood- not once in a million years. Please- leave me alone."

"Bu-"

"You hurt me," Lily admitted, interrupting him. "You were my very best friend, and you _betrayed_ me. I'm sorry, I really am, but… if you care for me at all, then you'll leave me alone, and we'll go our separate ways; me with my friends, you with yours."

Snape nodded mutely and let go of her hand. Lily forced herself not to look back into the Slytherin's sorrowful face as she turned on her heel and ran the rest of the way home, not even noticing that she had dropped her ice cream cone at her former best friend's feet.

Severus Snape wiped away a tear as he saw the girl he loved dash away. He leaned down, about to throw away the ice cream cone, but stopped. If he had to suffer, why couldn't other things, too?

And so he left the litter melting on the ground, glared at it scornfully, and ran back home.

Lily stopped just in front of the front door of her house and frowned. She couldn't explain it, but something felt… different, somehow. Something wasn't right. Her mum had told her that she was going to the local grocery store to run some errands; that was over an hour ago. She should've been back by now. And yet, there were no signs of any sort of life coming from her house. No human life, that is; Lily could hear Puck's hooting loud and clear.

Suddenly, someone screamed from inside of Lily's home. And she knew that something was most definitely not right.

Hurriedly, she stopped just frowning at her front door, fumbled her key out of her pocket, opened the door and rushed inside her house. She could vaguely hear someone brokenly sobbing, "Oh God, oh no," upstairs, so she darted up there as fast as her legs could carry her.

The sobbing was louder, and seemed to come from her parents' room. Lily cautiously opened the door and let loose an anguished scream of her own: Petunia was kneeling, crying, next to the glassy-eyed, unmoving, lifeless bodies of Henry and Rose Evans.

Hearing her younger sister's scream, Petunia looked up into the redhead's distraught face, and something joined the tears in her eyes: anger. "You," she hissed furiously.

Lily ignored this. "Oh, my gosh, Tuney, what happened?" She knelt next to her sister, tears trailing down her face.

"I came here, and couldn't find anyone," Petunia said. "I- I went looking for someone, and found _this_."

"How- how do you think it happened?" Lily asked quietly, her voice cracking from crying.

"How do you _think _it happened?" Petunia yelled, startling Lily. "Could a _normal _person do this? NO!"

Lily gaped at her sister, instantly realizing that she was right: no mere Muggle could've done this. Thinking back to her Defense Against the Dark Arts classes, she knew that someone had used the Killing Curse on her parents. And she knew just who that 'someone' had to be affiliated with. But there was only one way she could be sure.

The redhead dashed to the window, lifted it up, stuck her head out, and gasped. There, green and glowing above her home, was the Dark Mark. She clapped her hand to her mouth in horror, suppressing tears as best she could, as she closed the window and walked back over to sit by Petunia again.

"It was the Death Eaters," she whispered, her voice broken. "Th- they're a group of bad wizards. They're against Mug- people who aren't magical."

"I _knew _it was one of you freaks!" Petunia shouted. "I knew it! This is _all your fault_!"

"I didn't _do _this!" Lily defended herself. "I would _never _kill my own parents!"

"IF YOU WEREN'T A FREAK, THEN THOSE BLOODY DEATH EATERS WOULDN'T KNOW ABOUT US IN THE FIRST PLACE!" Petunia roared, tears falling freely down her face. "IF YOU WEREN'T A FREAK, THEN MUM AND DAD WOULD STILL BE ALIVE! IF YOU WEREN'T A _FREAK_, THEN WE WOULDN'T BE _ORPHANS_!"

That was when the realization really hit Lily: her parents were _dead_. They were never going to come back. Never greet her with bone-crushing hugs when she got off the Hogwarts Express, never going to make her ham sandwiches again, never going to listen in awe and wonder about the magical world. Lily sank to her knees and bawled her eyes out, gently touching her parents' cold cheeks. "Dear, sweet Merlin. Mum… Dad…" she breathed, her voice higher pitched than usual from trying- and failing- to choke back tears.

"It's your fault," Petunia spat at her. It seemed as if she was done with tears; instead, her every feature radiated anger. Pure, unadulterated anger. "It's your fault, and the other freaks' fault. You're nothing but a bunch of freaks. Go to hell."

Lily gasped through her tears. "Tuney-"

"Don't call me that!" Petunia snapped. "My name is _Petunia_, not _Tuney_. I am Petunia Dursley, and you aren't my sister."

"Tu- Petunia, please-"

"Don't 'Petunia, please' me!" Mrs. Dursley ordered. Laughing hollowly, she added, "I wonder what Mum and Dad are thinking right now, knowing that their oh-so-wonderfuldaughter- smart Lily, kind Lily, beautiful Lily, fucking _perfect __Lily_- got them _murdered_."

"I didn't!"

"Yes, you did," Petunia insisted, glaring fiercely at her younger sister. "You're no longer my sister, so don't bother coming to their funeral. Go. To. Hell."

Lily gasped again, and her tears flowed all the harder at her sister's cruel words. Petunia strode out of the room, slamming the door behind her, not looking back once.

Lily buried her face in her hands, weeping like she had never wept before, murmuring, "Mum… Dad…" over and over again, calling for them, wishing for them to come back. In a rush of realization, she knew how Sasha must have felt when her father had died; it was like the world had come crashing down around her. Nothing mattered except for the fact that she was alone, had lost the two people who had always been there for her throughout her whole life.

She cried her eyes out for twenty minutes, though it seemed like twenty years to her, before her eyes finally ran dry. Wiping her eyes, she ran her hands around her parents' smooth, cold skin once more before standing up, wiping her eyes, and beginning to think.

Petunia had made it clear that she wasn't allowed to attend her own parents' funeral; Lily was so weakened from grief that she felt no need to argue with her older sister. She could mourn on her own.

But where could she go? She couldn't stay here, in her modest little house; not while she knew her parents would never go in and out again. She didn't know how Sasha did it, living all alone- especially when her home was so big- knowing that her father, who Lily knew she had put on a pedestal and adored as if he was God, would never come home.

_I can go to Sasha's place! _Lily suddenly realized. _She said that the girls and I could drop by anytime; there's only about three weeks until school starts up again. Maybe I could stay there for a while. _She went to her bedroom and packed up everything she could possibly take with her in her massive Hogwarts trunk, gingerly cushioning a family photo in a pile of clothes and pocketing her wand. She heaved the trunk into the hallway, Puck inside his cage in one hand, and stopped once she was outside of her parents' room. She went in, grabbed a notepad and pencil from off the bedside table, and quickly scribbled a quick note to Petunia:

_Dear Petunia,_

_I've gone to a friend's house- permanently. I don't plan on coming back; I can't live here anymore, not without Mum and Dad. I'm going to mourn them privately; I won't come to the funeral, I don't want to make any of this more painful for you. Petunia, you're still my sister, even if I'm not yours, and I still love you. I always will, and I hope you know that. I hope you have a wonderful, blissful life with Vernon and the beautiful children I'm sure you'll have someday._

_If you wouldn't mind making the following speech at the funeral on my behalf, I'd really appreciate it:_

'_My parents were both wonderful, kind people, and I love them with all my heart. They were the best parents any girl could hope for. They always had a shoulder for me to cry on, an ear for my problems and complaints, and kind words to cheer me up. I know that they're smiling down on all of us now from up in Heaven. I believe no one deserved to go there more.'_

_I understand if you don't want to give the speech for me, but thanks, just in case you do. _

_Forever your loving sister,_

_Lily _

The redhead wiped a tear from her eye so it wouldn't fall onto the paper, smudging the ink. She took the blanket off of the bed and gently laid it over her parents' bodies, pushing their eyelids down, so that they could've been sleeping unless you knew better. She placed her note on top of the blanket where Petunia was sure to find it, blew her parents one last kiss and whispered, "I love you," before gripping her trunk handle and Appariting to the Berg Estate.

"Lily!" Sasha exclaimed, opening her front door and seeing one of her best friends standing there with her trunk. "Why are you just standing there? Come in, come in!"

Lily smiled gratefully and walked in, setting down her trunk. "TITA!" Sasha called, and the loyal, violet-eyed House Elf popped in and looked at her Mistress expectantly. "Take Lily's belongings up to her room, please, and then come back down here," Sasha ordered, gesturing to the trunk.

"Yes, Mistress Sasha," Tita bowed, and then turned to Lily. "Hello, Mistress Lily!" she greeted pleasantly before grabbing the redhead's trunk and Appariting away to Lily's allotted room. All of Sasha friends had been given their own rooms at the Berg Estate; there were enough rooms for that to be possible, after all.

"It's so good to see you!" Sasha gushed, grinning at her friend. Her face fell when she noticed the sorrowful look in her eyes. "Lily, what happened?"

"Th- the Death Eaters… they got my parents," Lily admitted quietly. Sasha gasped and threw her arms around her friend.

"Oh, Lily, I'm so sorry!" Sasha spoke, a tear of her own trailing down her cheek in sympathy. "It's absolutely awful, I know. I know exactly how you feel, unfortunately. I take it you need a place to stay?"

"Yes, please," Lily nodded. "I- I just couldn't stay there. Not without them."

"Well, don't worry; my home is your home," Sasha assured her, letting go of her and smiling kindly. "You can stay here as long as you need to."

"Thanks," Lily sighed. "Are you sure you don't mind?"

Sasha laughed. "Hell no! I could use the company! Besides, we have loads to catch up on! How did your sister's wedding go?"

"It went flawlessly," Lily spoke. "Petunia hates me now, though. She thinks that it's my fault that Mum and Dad are d-dead."

"Don't listen to her! She's just upset," Sasha told the redhead. "You know what you need? Cocoa." As if on cue, Tita appeared again. "Tita, would you mind bringing Lily some hot chocolate? We'll be in her room."

"Of course, Mistress Sasha and Mistress Lily!" Tita squeaked. "Tita bring you nice hot cocoa!" She popped down to the kitchen eagerly.

"C'mon, Lily, let's go to your room and get you settled," Sasha suggested kindly. "As I said before, we have lots to talk about."

"Yeah, we do," Lily agreed. "Thanks, Sasha… for everything."

"No big deal," Sasha shrugged. "What are friends for?"

Petunia Dursley went back to her parents, and saw, to her surprise, that someone had closed their eyes and covered them with a blanket. Even more surprising, she found a note on top of them. She picked up the note, read it, and choked back a sob; still, a few stubborn tears fell to the ground. She regretted what she had told her younger sister; but now, she was gone, and she couldn't take back what she had said.

A few days later, at Henry and Rose Evans' funeral, Petunia read her sister's speech word-for-word, and inwardly wished that Lily was there to mourn with her, that she hadn't screwed up the friendship she had worked so hard to restore.

_**...Not much to say, for once. Thanks for reading and PLEASE review!**_

**_-Joelle8_**


	37. In Which Remus Hates Himself

In Which Remus Hates Himself

"Padfoot," James said, waving his hand in front of his best friend's face. "Oi, Padfoot! Snap out of it!"

Sirius gave a little jump in his seat before turning to look at James. "Sorry, mate. I was just… thinking."

"You? _Thinking_?" James arched his eyebrows incredulously. "What about?"

"Nothing," Sirius answered, far too quickly to be believable. "Nothing important."

"You're lying, Pads," James stated. "I know you too well."

"Am not!"

"Am too!"

"Am not!"

"Am too!"

"Am not!"

"Am too!"

"BOYS!" Mrs. Potter shouted from the kitchen. "Stop fighting!"

"Okay!" Sirius and James yelled back simultaneously. They burst out into laughter.

A few minutes later, the two friends had finished laughing, and were stretched out on the ground in James' room. "Seriously, mate- and don't you _dare _use that awful pun- what were you thinking about?" James asked slowly.

"It's nothing," Sirius insisted. "Really… it's no big deal. Can't a bloke just think once in a while?"

"A _normal _bloke can," James replied. "_You_, however, are far from a normal bloke."

"It's what I do best," Sirius grinned cheekily.

"I think everyone who knows you knows that by now," James laughed. The two were silent for another few minutes, both deep in thought, before James inquired slowly, "Were you thinking about Sasha?"

"Wh-what?" Sirius sat up, startled. "Of course not! Why would I be thinking about Sasha?"

James smirked, sitting up as well. "You called her Sasha," he pointed out.

"Damn," Sirius cursed under his breath before admitting, "Okay… you caught me. I was thinking about Sa- _Berg_."

"What about her?" James questioned curiously.

"Just… her. I dunno, mate, but for some reason… I can't get her out of my head," Sirius sighed. "What's _wrong _with me? She's my fucking _enemy_, for crying out loud! I shouldn't be thinking about her unless I'm thinking about ways to make her mad!"

"So I take it you're _not _thinking about her in a hateful way?"

"No, and it's bloody confusing!" Sirius exclaimed. "Ever since we stayed at her place…"

"…You've seen her differently?" James supplied.

"Exactly!" Sirius nodded fervently. "I mean, she's not my friend or anything like that, by any means, but… we got along, you know? It was… nice."

James chuckled. "To be honest, mate, I never thought I'd hear you say that."

"Neither did I," Sirius muttered. Groaning, he asked, "Prongs, what's going on with me? I'm not supposed to feel this way about her!"

"Feel _what _way about her?" James questioned. _Please admit you fancy her, please admit you fancy her, it's so bloody obvious that you do, please just admit it already… _he prayed inwardly.

"I- well-" The rest of what a blushing Sirius said was impossible to understand, seeing as it was extremely quiet and mumbled under his breath.

"What was that?" James inquired, suppressing a smirk at his friend's blush and cupping his hand over his ear. "I couldn't hear you."

"I want to snog her!" Sirius admitted, quite loudly due to his despair hindering him from thinking straight, before putting his face in his hands desolately.

"Most of the blokes in Hogwarts do," James told him, patting him on the back consolingly, inwardly beaming. "It's not that unusual."

"It's not just that," Sirius started. "Sometimes, I just want to- to _be _with her, you know? Not necessarily snogging, but just…"

"I think I know how you feel," James said slowly. "You want to snog her, and do all that stuff, but you'd be perfectly happy just to spend time with her, doing anything at all; even if it wasn't snogging, or shagging, or even touching."

Sirius stared at him in wonder. "That's _exactly _how I feel… how'd you know?"

"That's how I feel about Lily."

It took a moment for what James was saying to click in Sirius' head. He leapt up and shook his head. "No. Nu-uh. No. Bloody. Way. I am _not _in love with Sasha!"

"You called her Sasha again," James pointed out. Sirius groaned, ran a hand through his hand, and rushed out the door to his own bedroom.

James chuckled. "Denial is the first step to acceptance!" he called down the hallway.

"Shut up! Remus already told me!" He vaguely heard Sirius shout back.

James chortled to himself, thinking, _Oh, yeah. He is _so _whipped_. Taking out his picture of Lily, he stared at it, sighing wistfully, before mentally adding, _Then again, I am, too._

"I still can't believe that three quarters of the Marauders- including _Black_- stayed here with you for a whole two weeks and nobody died!" Lily exclaimed, shaking her head.

"Believe it or not, Lily, Black and I actually got along while he was here," Sasha said. "Most of the time, anyways."

"What about Potter?" Lily questioned. Sasha was happy to note that, for once, the redhead didn't say "Potter" like it was the name of some sort of large, poisonous insect.

"Actually, James and I got on real well. He's not that bad once you get to know him," Sasha declared. "In fact, we're actually friends now."

"Traitor," Lily accused, glaring at her- but Sasha knew she didn't mean it.

"Aw, c'mon, Lily; even _you _have to admit that he was pretty nice those last few months at Hogwarts!" Sasha pointed out.

"Well, I suppose you have a point there," Lily mumbled, blushing slightly. "I still don't like him, though!"

"I never said you did," Sasha spoke, smiling. "_You _were the one who brought it up…"

"Wh- bu- I mean- th- that doesn't mean anything!" Lily spluttered.

"Sure it doesn't, Lily," Sasha smirked sarcastically. "_Sure _it doesn't."

"Anyway, what about you and Black?" Lily changed the topic quickly.

"What about me and Black?" Sasha asked, a faint blush coloring her cheeks in memory of their almost-kiss.

"You two _never _get along. Not even for a _day_. Why the sudden change?"

Sasha shrugged. "I didn't see too much of him, really. He, Remus and James woke up a good few hours earlier than me, and this place is so big that when they were off doing whatever they were up to, I generally didn't see them."

Lily arched her eyebrows skeptically. "You must have seen him at meal times and such. What about then? I find it hard to believe that you went through a whole two weeks of him staying here without talking to him."

"Well, I talked to him, but I made sure to be civil; that's all," Sasha explained, taking care to edit out… certain points. "Nothing more, nothing less; just civil."

"Oh, really?" Lily asked, clearly still not believing her.

"Yes, really."

"Are you sure?"

"_Yes, _I'm sure!"

"Are you sure you're sure?"

"Yes, I'm sure I'm sure!"

"Are you sure you're sure you're sure?"

"Merlin, Lily! What's with all the bloody 'sure's?"

The redhead shrugged. "I dunno. It was fun, though."

Sasha rolled her eyes. "I beg to differ; it was more annoying than anything else."

"Was not!"

"Was too!"

"Was not!"

"Was too!"

"Was not!"

"Was not!"

"Was too!"

"Was not!"

"…I missed you, Lily," Sasha said suddenly, grinning.

"I missed you too, Sasha," Lily told her. "You know… and please, don't hurt me for saying this… but I honestly think that you don't hate Black anymore." _Actually, I don't think you've really hated him since the ball, _she added inwardly, remembering how Sasha and Sirius had danced together, not even noticing when the song ended.

"What? That's impossible! Of course I still hate him!" Sasha exclaimed, much faster than normal, before burying her face in her hands. "Merlin, I can't even convince _myself_."

Lily squeezed her friend's shoulder comfortingly. "It's okay, Sasha," she said. "So… if you don't hate him, then how _do _you feel about him?"

"…I don't know," Sasha replied. "I mean, part of me- I think I'll call it the 'sane part'- still thinks he's an annoying git. But the other part of me… doesn't really know what to make of him."

"Well, when you think of him, what's the first thing you think of?"

"Word or incident?"

"Hmm… both. Word first."

"Okay, then: Funny."

"You do realize that means you think he's funny, right?" Lily made sure, suppressing a smile. "And that that's a _good _characteristic?"

"Ugh. Don't remind me," Sasha moaned.

Lily chuckled. "Okay. Incident now."

Sasha thought for a moment. The first incident that came to mind was her and Sirius very nearly kissing, but being caught by Remus and James. She _would not _tell Lily that, though. She knew that she would never hear the end of it. After a second, she remembered another incident, one that she was sure the redhead would find amusing. She chuckled just thinking about it.

"Well," she began, "The day the boys were leaving, I woke up early to say goodbye. I showered- just like I always do when I wake up- and was drying off, with my towel around me, when in walks Black."

Lily gasped, right on cue. "Oh, Merlin! What happened next?"

"He stared at me for the longest time," Sasha laughed. "The look on his face… it was bloody hilarious, I'll tell you that. He couldn't take his eyes off of me."

"Well, what do you expect?" Lily chortled. "Which _part _of you couldn't he take his eyes off of?"

"Like you don't already know," Sasha elbowed her friend playfully, her cheeks reddening. "Anyways, so he was staring at me, and I told him to snap out of it. He did, but he still looked dazed. So then, I went to my room, and he thought I didn't notice him staring at my arse as I walked."

Lily roared with laughter. "Merlin," she panted between laughs, "that sounds like _exactly _the type of thing Black would do!"

"I know!" Sasha laughed.

"You do realize this means that he thinks you're hot, right?" Lily asked once she had finally stopped laughing.

"Doesn't everyone?" Sasha chuckled playfully, grinning broadly at the thought of Sirius thinking she was hot- _why _that made her so happy, she didn't know for the life of her. She had a hunch, but it was impossible. There was no way she would say it out loud.

Lily rolled her eyes. "And you call Black and Potter conceited!"

"Oi! I resent that!" Sasha exclaimed, playfully pushing her friend lightly.

"Don't worry, Sasha, I'm kidding," Lily assured her friend.

"Good. So was I."

The two friends were silent for a moment until Sasha asked, "Want to go to the kitchen? We can get Tita to make us some cocoa!"

"Yum! Let's go!" Lily grinned enthusiastically, and she and Sasha went to the kitchen, both immensely glad that they had each other.

_Why are they here again? _Mary wondered to herself. She had come back to the Swedish café- without her sleepy parents, this time- in hopes of getting a coffee, or something equally refreshing, and upon arriving there, had seen none other than Mulciber and Avery again. This time, however, they had three more people with them: Mallory Goyle, her older brother Roger, and- to Mary's great surprise- Peter Pettigrew.

She had to assume that Peter was only there because his girlfriend was. He _did _look quite nervous and out-of-place, making Mary think that he wasn't at all used to his girlfriend's friends. Then again, what could they be talking about that could possibly involve Peter, of all people?

Pulling the hood on her jacket over her head to reduce the chance of her being recognized, she quietly took a seat at a table not too far away from them. In fact, it was close enough that she could hear snippets of their conversation, which was exactly what she had been aiming for. However, as soon as she sat down, the chatter amongst the group ended with a sudden halt. Mary frowned at this, but continued to pretend to read the newspaper she brought with her.

Suddenly, someone sat down across from her. Mary looked up and smiled at Peter. "Hello, Peter," she greeted him quietly. "What brings you to Sweden?"

"My grandmother lives here," the nervous-looking boy answered. "She suggested I go to this café for a quick meal if I got hungry. What about you, Mary?"

"My parents and I always go here during the summer vacation- for sentimental reasons," Mary explained. "My parents met here."

"That's cool," Peter said.

Abruptly, surprising even herself, Mary asked, "Peter, why are you here with Mulciber, Avery and Goyle?"

Peter tittered nervously. "Well, you see, I came here to meet Mallory, and… they were with her." Mary nodded understandingly, and Peter added, "Do you think you could… you know… not tell the others about this? You know, James, Remus, Sirius? And your friends, too?"

"Why?"

"I really like Mallory, but I'm afraid if James and Sirius and Remus found out about me hanging out with Mulciber and Avery- even if it's only once- as a result of being with her, they'd try to break us up," Peter spoke. "I know they're not the nicest people, and I swear, I never planned to meet up with them."

"Don't worry, Peter, I believe you," Mary assured the nervous boy. "I won't tell the others. Just… be careful, okay? I have nothing against Mallory; she's never done anything to me. But Mulciber and Avery…" Mary shuddered subconsciously, remembering what the awful boys had done to her.

"Thanks for your concern, Mary," Peter smiled genuinely. "I'll be careful, I promise."

"Good," Mary said. Standing up, she decided, "I'll leave you to your girlfriend now. See you at Hogwarts."

"Bye, Mary," Peter waved to her as she left the shop before going back to sit by his girlfriend. Looking around himself once more to make sure that Mary had really left, he told the Slytherins in an undertone, "She believed me," and they continued their conversation.

"You can't catch me!" Delilah screamed, laughing, running around her neighborhood's Muggle playground. Kids and their parents stared at her as she passed them, but she didn't care; she was having too much fun.

"Yes I can!" Dexter declared in response, also laughing. "I'll get you, Delilah McPhee!"

"No, you won't!" Delilah shouted back, ducking under the slide. She darted through and around the playground equipment, hearing her boyfriend's footsteps behind her.

She stopped to catch her breath, looking around for Dexter. To her surprise, she couldn't see him. Not taking any chances, she resumed her running…

…Only to be caught around the waist.

"You're it," Dexter whispered in her ear.

"No fair!" Delilah exclaimed. "I stopped for a breath!"

"And then _I _tagged you," Dexter said. "Merlin, Delilah, it's just a game!"

"So?" Delilah asked, whirling around, angry. "I _lost_! I _never _lose!"

"Everyone loses _some_time, Delilah," Dexter chuckled. "Even someone as good as you is no exception." Delilah stayed stonily silent, pouting, and Dexter chuckled again. "I think _some_one's a bit of a sore loser."

"I am _not _a sore loser!" Delilah protested. "I just… like winning."

"It's the same thing, love," Dexter said kindly. Seeing his girlfriend was still angry, he continued, "Don't worry; there's nothing wrong with being a sore loser. Plenty of people are."

Delilah, however, seemed not to hear him, and was instead muttering heatedly under her breath to herself, "Hate losing… He's _not _faster than me, he's not… Just a slip-up… Won't happen again…"

Dexter sighed and swiftly planted his lips on Delilah's, effectively quieting her. She felt her bad mood evaporating as she wrapped her arms around her boyfriend's neck, and by the time they broke apart from their embrace, she was smiling. "Sorry about… before," she apologized sheepishly. "I guess I am a bit of a sore loser."

"It's okay," Dexter assured her. "There's nothing wrong with that as long as you know you can't win at everything."

"I know that- and I hate it," Delilah admitted.

Dexter just kissed her again.

Frank sat on a towel on the beach with his arms around his girlfriend, who was all but sitting on his lap, inwardly wishing for the moment to last forever. Their parents, in an act of surprising trust, had gone back to the hotel and told their children that they could stay at the beach together as long as they wanted to.

It had been nearly five hours since that, and the couple was now watching the sunset.

"It's beautiful," Alice sighed, marveling at the colors arrayed in the sky.

"You are," Frank agreed, kissing her shoulder. Alice smiled and leaned back into his bare chest.

"You know," Alice said after a little while, "this is the best summer I've ever had."

"I have to agree with you there," Frank spoke. "I've been waiting for this for _years_."

"Chicken!" Alice laughed, slapping his hand playfully and not at all hard. "Why didn't you ask me out sooner? We could've had _years _of this!"

"I thought you'd turn me down," Frank admitted.

"Are you kidding me? I've fancied you since Fourth Year!"

"_Really_?"

"Really."

"…I'm an idiot."

Alice chuckled. "Yes, but you're _my _idiot, and that's all that matters."

Frank kissed her forehead softly. "As long as I'm your idiot, I'll be happy." Summoning all of his Gryffindor courage, he continued, "…I love you, Alice Prewett."

To his surprise and joy, his girlfriend turned to face him with her face positively beaming. She leant in and kissed him passionately before breaking apart and, still smiling, saying, "Frank Longbottom, I love you, too."

The couple grinned at each other and resumed watching the sunset. It was the best day of both of their lives.

Remus howled- literally- as his spine elongated, ripping his clothes in half. They fell to the floor of the metal room he was in; the Ministry had designed it and put it under his house in place of a basement so during his transformations, he would have somewhere he could go where he would be safe; and more importantly, where he couldn't hurt anyone.

It was these times when Remus wished, with all his might, which he was back at Hogwarts. At Hogwarts, his friends could help him through the transformations; at Hogwarts, he wouldn't have to hear his parents crying as they heard the terrible screams belonging to their son.

He let loose another scream as the transformation continued. _So, so painful… _Remus thought.

It was his last human thought before the transformation was complete, and Remus Lupin was no more. Instead, a werewolf sat on its haunches and howled at the out-of-sight full moon.

In the morning, Remus would turn human again, and hate himself for finding his parents' scent so delicious, for wanting to attack, to eat, to destroy.

It was a cycle just as much as the full moon cycle was.

**_Another look at everyone else's summers! So, what do you think? PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE review! I only need 6 more to get to 350!_**

**_Thanks for reading!_**

**_-Joelle8_**


	38. In Which Seventh Year Begins

In Which Seventh Year Begins

Lily stood in front of the brick entrance to Platform 9 ¾, a stray tear making its way down her cheek. Sasha, understanding immediately, put an comforting arm around her redheaded friend's shoulders.

"It's just… they should be here, you know?" Lily sniffed. "Mum and Dad always came to see me off… always used to point at everything… and now, they're just… gone."

"I know," Sasha sympathized, squeezing the redhead's shoulder comfortingly, "I feel the same way… my daddy should be here now, too. But he's not, and your parents aren't either, and we just have to remember that they're watching over us, smiling, supporting us all the way."

"You know, you have a way with words, Sasha," Lily remarked after a moment, a half smile on her face. "You could be a writer."

"Nah," Sasha shook her head, taking her arm off the redhead's shoulder, "not enough action. I'm going to be an Auror- that or nothing."

Lily nodded, and then suggested, "We should probably get to the train now. It's almost eleven."

"Yeah. You wanna go first?"

"Sure," Lily said before pushing her cart without any hesitation through the barrier, emerging on Platform 9 ¾. After checking to make sure nobody was watching her, Sasha followed.

"LILY! SASHA!" A familiar voice yelled, flinging her arms around her fellow Seventh Year Gryffindors.

"NOT A HUGGY PERSON!" Sasha shouted, freeing herself from Alice's vise-like grip. She playfully hit her friends upside the head when she saw them laughing at her.

"Oi! Calm down, will you? What do you expect me to do when I haven't seen either of you for the whole summer?" Alice laughed, still grinning.

Sasha sighed. "Fine, you're forgiven. Don't get used to it, though!"

"How was your summer, Alice?" Lily abruptly asked the blonde girl, smiling cheerily.

Alice beamed, obviously eager to talk. "It couldn't have been better, it really couldn't have! Frank is absolutely _wonderful_- I've been happier these past few months than I can remember being in a long, long time!"

"Oh, that's fantastic, Alice!" Lily gushed, hugging the blonde again; Sasha rolled her eyes at all the hugging going on. She really didn't see what was so great about being nearly suffocated. Was it so weird that she liked having her own personal bubble space? "Where is Frank, by the way?"

"He and I got here while ago. He found a compartment on the train; we decided that he would wait there so no one would take it, and I'd come out here and look for you guys."

"Well, let's go to the compartment, then!" Sasha spoke brightly, picking up her heavy trunk with ease. "We don't want Frank to get lonely, do we?"

"Nope," Alice agreed, "c'mon!"

Alice led her two friends to the compartment, where Frank, along with Mary and Delilah, were sitting. Mary jumped up to hug Alice and Lily, and Delilah and Sasha just smiled around at everyone.

"Well, glad to see I'm not the only non-hugger here anymore!" Delilah chuckled, smiling at Sasha.

"I know- what would we do without each other?" Sasha laughed, plopping down next to the tomboy. "So, what's new?"

"Summer was awesome," Delilah grinned brightly, "and guess what? I'm Quidditch Captain!"

"Merlin's beard, congratulations, Delilah!" Sasha exclaimed excitedly; she had expected that Delilah would be Quidditch captain, of course, but that didn't make her any less happy for her friend.

"That's not all," Delilah continued, "_Dexter _is the Quidditch Captain for Ravenclaw!"

"Should've seen it coming," Sasha chortled, meaning every word of it. "Dumbledore seems to like to do things like that."

"What do you mean?" Delilah frowned, confused.

Sasha lowered her voice and murmured, her eyes darting to Lily ever so briefly, "You'll find out soon enough." Returning her voice to its normal volume, she directed her gaze to Mary. "Pom-Pom!" She barked.

Mary turned around and smiled at her friend. "Hi to you, too, Sasha. How are you?"

"Great, thanks!" Sasha replied happily. "You?"

"Me, too. Glad to be back with all of you."

Sasha playfully put a hand to her heart. "Oh, Pom-Pom, you make me feel so special!"

Mary giggled. "Sasha, you're such a drama queen. So, what'd you do over the summer?"

Lily, hearing this question, answered for Sasha, "Remus Lupin, James Potter, and _Sirius Black _stayed at her place for a whole _two weeks_- that's what!"

"WHAT?" The girls- and Frank- gaped in unison, their widened eyes turned towards Sasha, totally shocked. Alice, Lily and Mary sat down, expectant. Sasha sighed, and told the whole basic story of those two rather interesting weeks- minus her various "moments" with Sirius, of course. Nice as Frank was, she didn't particularly want him knowing about that. Or her friends, for that matter. She loved them, but they did enjoy nagging.

By the time Sasha had finished her story, Mary, Delilah, Alice and Frank had finally managed to wrap their heads around the thought of _Sasha Berg _and _Sirius Black _actually getting along for a longer time period than just two seconds. Nonetheless, Mary couldn't help but let out a quiet, shocked, "Wow."

"Yeah, I know," Lily nodded in agreement. "I had the same reaction as you guys when I heard."

"Wait, how'd you know already?" Frank asked, frowning.

"I've been staying at Sasha's place for a few weeks now," Lily answered. Taking a deep breath, she admitted, "The Death Eaters got my parents… I just couldn't stay at my house after that."

Frank's face turned grim, and Alice, Delilah and Mary instantly gasped in horror. "Oh, Lily!" Alice exclaimed, her eyes wet, flinging her arms around the redhead and squeezing her tight. "I'm so, so, so sorry!" Mary said nothing; she just joined the hug, comfortingly stroking Lily's hair in a sweet, maternal manner.

Delilah and Sasha shared a look, both knowing they couldn't get out of this one. Sighing, they tentatively joined the group hug, both a bit uncomfortable. Frank looked on slightly awkwardly, feeling almost like he was intruding on a tender, sentimental moment.

The hug ended when someone knocked on the door to the compartment. Sasha smiled widely when she saw who it was, and ignoring Lily's groan (and Alice, Mary, Delilah, and Frank's gasps of shock), she went to open the door. "Hi, James!" She greeted cheerily.

"Hey, Sasha. I have to ask: What happened to you 'not being a huggy person'?" James responded, his hazel eyes dancing with amusement behind his glasses.

"I hug people when they really need it," Sasha shrugged as if it was no big deal. "It was very necessary, in this case. Anyways, what are you doing here?"

"I came to see if any of you were the Head Girl," James answered honestly, though he already had a hunch as to what the answer of his question would be. He just needed confirmation. "I want to know who I'm sharing my Head duties with."

It took a moment for this statement to sink in. "YOU'RE HEAD BOY?" Delilah, Mary, Frank, Alice and- loudest of all- Lily chorused in shock. Sasha, who had received a letter from her new friend just moments after he had received his letter, merely stifled her laughter at the reactions.

James nodded, chuckling at their amazement. "Yeah, I didn't see it coming, either. You should've seen my mum's reaction- she nearly fainted! My dad actually _did_!"

"How can _you_ be Head Boy?" Delilah questioned incredulously, her eyes wide and popping out of her head. "You weren't even a Prefect, for crying out loud!"

"Don't ask me," James replied, holding up his hands in surrender. "I have no clue about how all this happen. All I know is that I got a letter with my name on it that said I was Head Boy."

"Dumbledore must've gone barmy," Lily murmured, looking nothing less than horrified, her shock having faded dramatically now. "He must have had a few shots too much firewhiskey when he assigned the positions. No sane man would ever put _you _in any sort of position of authority… Sweet Merlin, this can't be happening…"

Ignoring this insult, James smiled, his eyes alight, "Hello to you, too, Lily. Tell me, are you Head Girl?" Lily nodded mutely.

"YOU DIDN'T TELL US!" Alice, Delilah and even Mary declared much too loudly, obviously upset with the redhead. "How could you not tell us that you're Head Girl? You've been hoping you would be since Third Year!"

"Slipped my mind," Lily shrugged absently, still wrapping her head around who the Head Boy was.

"Well, congrats, Lily," Mary grinned, the volume of her voice a good bit lower, always the first to share kind words. "We all knew that you'd get it."

"Mary said it all," Delilah piped up, grinning.

"Yeah," Alice and Frank said in unison; he had his arms around her, and they looked blissfully content. It did all of the Gryffindors' hearts good to see their friends so happy.

"Anyways," James interjected, his eyes solely on Lily, "the Prefects meeting is in a few minutes, and we really should be there, Lily. After you." He flourished his hand in front of him grandly, gesturing for Lily to lead the way. Lily went out the door, her face still a mask of shock and horror, waving absently to her friends as she left. James followed her, trying his best not to resemble the lovesick puppy dog that Lily Evans tended to turn him into.

Sasha chuckled, "Poor Lily."

"Was it just my imagination, or was Potter actually being… not a prat?" Delilah spoke wondrously, her head cocked to the side.

"It wasn't just your imagination," Frank told the tomboy matter-of-factly. "James is actually a real nice bloke. He just doesn't always act like it. Especially around Lily."

"Maybe, if he's nicer this year, he and Lily will get together," Mary mused quietly.

Alice snorted. "Yeah, right. Like _that'll _ever happen."

"Don't count your chickens before they hatch," Sasha wagged her finger at her friend knowingly. "You never know. Personally, I think they're perfect for each other."

Delilah shook her head. "Sasha, it's official. You've changed."

"How so?"

"For one, you and Black got along for a whole two weeks. For another, I _never _thought I'd hear you _encouraging _Potter and Lily getting together."

Sasha shrugged. "Yeah, well, that was before I got to know the real him."

"Um… Sasha?" Mary interjected tentatively, seeming unsure and even shier than usual.

"What is it, Pom-Pom?"

"Have you… erm… seen Remus yet?" The shy girl asked uncomfortably, blushing even redder than Lily's hair.

"No, not yet; I think I'll go look for him, though," Sasha decided. A mischievous glint suddenly lit up in her eye, she asked her quiet friend, "Want to come with?"

"No, it's fine," Mary squeaked automatically. "I was just curious. That's all."

"Suit yourself," Sasha sighed, shooting her curly-haired friend a knowing look. "See you all later." With that, she exited the compartment.

"Randy Cook," A blonde-haired, blue-eyed, overall quite good looking boy introduced himself to the Marauders. "Ravenclaw, Seventh Year."

The Marauders had had the compartment entirely to themselves when the blonde boy who they only knew by sight knocked on the door on their compartment, asking if he could join them, since "all the other compartments were full". Remus, being the kind and friendly person he was, immediately let him in, and now they sat talking.

"Remus Lupin," the werewolf introduced himself kindly. "Gryffindor, Seventh Year."

"Peter Pettigrew. Gryffindor, Seventh Year."

"James Potter. Gryffindor, Seventh Year."

"Sirius Black. Gryffindor, Seventh Year." Sirius introduced himself last, always initially suspicious of people.

"You're the Marauders, right? The blokes who do all those pranks?" Randy asked. When the boys nodded proudly, he burst out laughing, "Those are brilliant! They make my day. Especially the ones on Snape, the git!"

"Glad to hear it!" James beamed proudly, already have decided that Randy wasn't so bad. He was smart, at least, if nothing else, as evidenced by his hatred of Snivellus and his admiration of pranks. Checking his watch, he hopped up. "Well, mates, I guess I better go to the Prefects' carriage now… who knows, maybe I'll even run into Lily on the way!" Hopeful and excited at the prospect of seeing his beautiful fellow Gryffindor, James quickly rushed out of the compartment.

"Shouldn't you go, too, Remus?" Peter asked his taller friend a bit timidly. "You're a Prefect, too."

"James and Lily have to go early since they're the Heads," Remus explained. "I'll go in ten or fifteen minutes."

"I still can't believe _James _is Head Boy," Sirius muttered to them, shaking his head. "Where did we go wrong?"

"Wait- _James Potter_, Marauder and Prankster, known for having the most detentions in the history of Hogwarts, is _Head Boy_?" Randy arched his eyebrows wondrously. When he received several glum nods in return, he let out a low whistle. "Wow. _That _was unexpected. I personally thought you'd be the Head Boy, Remus."

Remus shook his head. "No; I actually think James is a good pick. He's better at being a leader than I ever have been. People are more likely to actually listen to him than they are to listen to me."

"I still say Dumbledore's turned into a stark raving lunatic," Sirius muttered grumpily. He knew that James would be more busy now, thanks to his new duties as a Head, and would have less time to spend with his best mate. Sirius still hadn't quite gotten over this.

"Though Remus makes a good point, I can't help but agree with you there," Randy chuckled. Sirius smirked; Randy was turning out to be a nice enough bloke, as far as he could tell.

Suddenly, without even a knock as a warning, Sasha Berg stepped into the compartment, grinning around at them. "Hello, all!"

"Hi, Sister," Remus smiled.

"Brother! I've been looking _everywhere _for you!" Sasha exclaimed, giving Remus a brief hug.

"Why?" Remus asked curiously.

Sasha shrugged, "I dunno, I just wanted to say 'Hi,' I guess."

Sirius felt his face lighting up, his smile broader than it had been since… well, since he had last seen Sasha. She looked the same as she had when Sirius had said goodbye to her at Berg Estate; and yet, for whatever reason, she was even more beautiful than when Sirius had last seen her.

_You know what they say: "Absence makes the heart grow fonder," _the all-too-familiar naughty voice in Sirius' head remarked. Sirius pushed it away stubbornly. "Hey, Berg," he finally spoke once he had found his voice.

Sasha turned to face him, and was struck by how unusually happy he seemed. I mean, sure, he was a pretty cheerful bloke most of the time, but now, he just radiated joy. It was a bit weird, actually. "Hi, Black," she nodded curtly, a small smile gracing her features. "Hi, Pettigrew," she added, looking towards the short, plump boy.

"Hi," Peter squeaked back.

Sasha smiled at him, sensing his unease- though she couldn't imagine the cause of it- and then noticed Randy sitting quietly. Looking him over quickly, she realized that she was not, in fact, acquainted with him; which was a shame, since he was _quite _handsome. "And who's this, Remus?" She arched an eyebrow gracefully, her gaze focused on the blonde boy.

"Randy Cook," the Ravenclaw answered for himself, extending his hand in greeting, his eyes doing a once-over of Sasha briefly. Sirius, noticing this, scowled in anger.

"Sasha Berg," the Gryffindor girl smiled, accepting his hand and shaking it firmly. "I don't believe we've met before, Randy. What House are you in?"

"Ravenclaw."

"And are you as smart as you all are rumored to be?"

"I'd like to think so; I bet I'm not as smart as you, though," Randy flirted. Sirius' scowl deepened.

Despite herself, Sasha blushed. "Smooth," she complimented.

"I try," Randy grinned back. Sirius noticed that Randy and Sasha were still holding hands, and decided that Randy was not, in fact, a nice bloke. Not at all.

"Well, you succeed," Sasha commented. Pulling her hand out of Randy's grasp (to Sirius' relief, though he didn't know why it pleased him so much, even if his naughty voice was telling him otherwise), she turned back to Remus. "I'd best be going now, Remus. I'll see you at the feast, okay?"

"Okay," Remus smiled in response. "See you then."

"It was nice meeting you, Randy," Sasha told the Ravenclaw kindly.

"The same to you," Randy replied charmingly, winking at her. Sirius' hands clenched at his sides.

"Bye Black, Pettigrew," Sasha said to the other two boys in the compartment, frowning in confusion when she saw Sirius' angry expression. "Black, what's wrong?"

"Nothing that concerns _you_," Sirius lashed out, letting his anger get the best of him as he glared at the girl.

Sasha's eyes narrowed. _What'd I do? _She asked herself. _All I did to him was say 'Hi'! _"PMS-ing, are you, Black? You're certainly acting like it."

"Are you sure _you're _not PMS-ing?" Sirius shot back. "I've heard that the bitchiest of girls usually are."

"That's exactly why _you _must be PMS-ing, Black," Sasha retaliated with a fake, sickly sweet smile. "You're the bitchiest girl of them all."

"Oh, I've figured it out!" Sirius faked enthusiasm, pretending he had just realized something important. "You're not PMS-ing; it must be your time of the month!"

"Grow up, Black," Sasha rolled her eyes. "If you don't have a decent insult, don't even try."

But Sirius _did _have a decent insult; one that was out of his mouth before he could stop himself. "Tell me, Berg, what'd you do when you got your first period? It's not like your mum could help you out, after all." As soon as Sirius said the words, he regretted them. The glare Sasha shot him bored through his body like fire, and he felt himself fearing for his life.

Sasha finally ground out, "The words 'fucking bastard' don't even _begin _to describe you, Black," and swiftly exited the compartment, slamming the door behind herself.

The four boys were silent for a few moments before Randy finally spoke up, "I forgot how much you hated her, Sirius."

"So did I," Sirius muttered, full of sadness and self-hate, "so did I."

_**Well, Sirius, you certainly screwed up big time. Congratulations. (Hope you hear the sarcasm.)**_

**_Thank you SO much for all the reviews, everybody! I now have (drumroll please...)... 356! YAY! Thanks a bundle for reviewing! Please review for this chapter, too; I love hearing your comments and opinions!_**

**_Thanks for reading!_**

**_-Joelle8_**

**_P.S. Leah: I hope you caught our inside joke in there. ;D_**


	39. In Which Lily Admits It

In Which Lily Admits It

In the month following the incident between Sirius and Sasha on the train, much happened.

James was following Sasha's "Rules for Winning Lily's Heart" and, as a result, he and Lily were now on a first-name basis. Lily, however confused she was by this, liked the change; the fighting had really gotten on her nerves, truthfully. Besides, she was pleased to discover that James Potter was more interesting and fun to be around than any of her previous boyfriends and crushes. Not that this meant anything, of course…

Peter and Mallory were still going strong; or so his fellow Marauders had to infer, seeing as he spent the majority of his time with Mallory. As a result, Peter found himself getting to know his girlfriend's Slytherin pals a bit better, too; though, of course, his friends had no knowledge of this whatsoever.

Delilah and Dexter, though they were both Quidditch Captains for their rival Houses, spent as much time together as possible, often sitting at each other's House tables for meals and sneaking out late at night to go for a fly or talk a walk around the castle. Neither of them could remember a time when they had felt happier.

Remus had, with much prodding from his friends, _finally _asked Mary if she would like to go to the first Hogsmeade trip with him. Mary, smiling shyly as usual and blushing with pleasure and slight embarrassment, had agreed to. Of course. Both were eagerly looking forward to their date, and could often be found in the library together "studying". Or so they claimed…

Sirius, it seemed, had not misread the actions of Randy towards Sasha on the train at all. Sasha and the Ravenclaw sat together in many of the classes they shared, and visibly flirted with each other whenever they interacted. For some reason, each time Sirius saw this, he had a strange urge to strangle the life out of Randy with his bare hands. But, since he had no great desire to spend the rest of his life in Azkaban, he got together with more girls than he ever had before, hoping that one of them could take his mind off of Sasha. None of them ever did.

Sasha, meanwhile, recognized when somebody fancied her, and it was clear that Randy did. So, since he was sweet, smart and attractive, when he flirted with her, she flirted back. She was in her Seventh Year, after all; it was about time she had a boyfriend, and Randy was the perfect candidate. Or at least, that was what her head told her; for some reason, her heart kept telling her that Sirius Black would be much, much better (even though their hatred for each other had returned since their encounter on the Hogwarts Express). Maybe that was why she flirted with Randy even more than usual when she saw Sirius flaunting his flavors around.

It couldn't be that she had any sort of feelings for him, though. No, that certainly wasn't an option.

Sasha sighed. Why did History of Magic have to be so incredibly boring? Suddenly, she had an idea, and she pulled out a parchment. Pointing her wand at it, she muttered, "Partisperus Lily and Mary."

_Hi, Lily and Pom-Pom! _She wrote. As her message sunk through the parchment and she heard her two friends jump in their seats at the same table, she knew her spell- one that her cousin Amelia had created- had worked.

**Sasha? Is that you? **Appeared on Sasha's parchment.

_Yeah. Is this Pom-Pom or Lily?_

That was Lily. This is Mary- NOT Pom-Pom!

_Whatever you say, Pom-Pom! Well, hi to both of you! Isn't this class boring?_

**What did you do, Sasha? **Lily wrote back, ignoring her friend's question. **Why are these messages appearing on our parchment?**

Sasha sighed, and explained, _Amelia- you remember her, my cousin, Professor Lovegood?- she made up this spell. When you use it, you say the name of the people you want to write notes to. Then, the notes appear not only on your parchment, but on the other peoples' parchment, too. Cool, huh?_

Wow… that's actually quite remarkable.

**Ingenious, in fact.**

Extremely clever; never would've thought of it, myself.

**Same here. She must be exceptionally gifted to be able to create those types of spells. I imagine that making up spells is an incredibly complex process…**

_OI! Enough with the big words! You're giving me a headache!_

Well, it's not_ our _fault that your vocabulary isn't as immense as ours. You know, if you'd read more, instead of listening to all of that Rock n Roll, your vocabulary may grow…

_For your information, Pom-Pom, I read! A lot! Well, maybe not a lot, but enough! AND ROCK N ROLL IS THE BEST MUSIC TO EVER BE CREATED! IT IS THE FABRIC OF HUMANITY! THE DAY I STOP LISTENING TO ROCK N ROLL WILL BE THE DAY I DIE! _Sasha glanced over at her friends to see them reading her message and rolling their eyes, commiserating. She grinned.

**Calm down, Sasha! Mary only suggested that you listen to **_**less**_**; not that you stop listening to it altogether. Now, I think we should move onto another topic: HOGSMEADE! **Lily wrote back.

Oh, I'm so excited! The trip is TOMORROW!

_Of course you're excited, Pom-Pom; you're going with Remus! Your longtime crush! Oh, Lily, can you believe our little Pom-Pom is going on her first real date tomorrow? It seems like just yesterday she was introducing herself to us during our first night ever at Hogwarts…_

**I know. It makes me tear up just thinking about it; happy tears, of course, but tears, all the same.**

…Wow. You might just be the most emotional person I've ever met, Lily.

_You know, Pom-Pom, you talk a lot more during notes than you do in actual conversation._

I know. I'm still not sure why, though.

**Can we get back to the subject of Hogsmeade?**

_Oh, does Lily want a certain someone to ask her to Hogsmeade? Someone whose first name starts with "J" ends with "S" and has "Ame" in the middle? ;-D_

**NO!**

_Awfully defensive, aren't you, Lily? That sure is a lot of exclamation points... _Sasha unsuccessfully suppressed laughter. A few people looked at her strangely, but she just mouthed back, "Never mind," and they eventually went back to their work.

Sasha, if you ask me, Lily is a bit _too _defensive…

_Pom-Pom, are you implying that our dear friend Lily is, perhaps, falling for a certain Head Boy?_

That's _exactly _what I'm implying.

_Oh. Well, then, I agree. :D_

**Hello? I'M RIGHT HERE! And I do NOT fancy James Potter!**

You know, denial is the first step to acceptance.

…**James said that before…**

_HA! YOU CALLED HIM "JAMES"!_

**Sasha, I've been calling him "James" for two weeks now.**

_Oh… well, then YOU'RE THINKING ABOUT HIM! So there! Just admit it, Lily, you fancy him!_

**That's preposterous! Besides, he doesn't fancy me anymore anyways.**

_Again with the big words! Do you guys hate me or something?_

Sasha, neither Lily nor I hate you. And Lily, if you think that James Potter doesn't fancy you, then you must be blind, deaf, and dumb.

_Ooo, like Tommy! You know, from The Who! _

What?

_Oh, never mind!_

**I'm not blind, Mary! Think about it: he hasn't even asked me to Hogsmeade! It must mean that he got over me!**

_Is it just me, Lily, or does the thought of James no longer fancying you upset you?_

**What? Of course not!**

Denial…

**You know, Mary, I think I'm starting to like you more when you DON'T talk.**

:-P

_Lily, there's nothing wrong with fancying James._

**But for the last three years, I've hated him! I've told him millions of times- yes, millions, I've counted- that he's an insufferable git and I'll never go out with him! I can't just suddenly start fancying him, even if he is really kind and sweet and caring and intelligent and responsible and handsome now!**

…_You do realize you basically just admitted to fancying James, right?_

**Damn.**

Just admit it, Lily. You'll feel better.

**Okay, fine: I fancy James bloody Potter.**

_YES! FINALLY! HALLELUJAH!_

Now, don't you feel better, Lily?

**Kind of, I guess… by the way, I hope you both realize that if James finds out I fancy him (wow, saying that will take some getting used to!), I'll come after the both of you with my full redhead wrath.**

_Don't worry, Lily, he won't hear it from me._

Me either.

**Good. That makes me feel A LOT better. **

…_So, what should we talk about now?_

Well, we _could _talk about how Randy is going to ask you to Hogsmeade, Sasha…

_Nah, that's too boring. We already know it'll happen, after all._

**Will you say yes?**

_Yeah. Randy's a really good guy._

I agree, he seems nice.

**Hey, Sasha, have you noticed something?**

_Probably not, what is it?_

**Well, it's just that, whenever you and Randy hang out, Black always glares at Randy and then goes off to snog some random flavor. It's almost like he's **_**jealous **_**or something.**

Oh, yeah, I've seen that, too.

_You two must be imagining things. Unless Black is a homosexual- which, despite my various comments to him about it, I find highly unlikely- what does he have to be jealous of?_

**(Sigh.) Poor, naïve Sasha.**

She just doesn't get it, does she?

_Get what? What is there to get?_

Sasha, if Black was jealous, he wouldn't be jealous of _you_; he'd be jealous of _Randy_.

…_That doesn't make any sense. Why would he be jealous of Randy?_

**Because you're always flirting with Randy.**

_Your point?_

I'm going to say- or write - this out clearly for you, Sasha, okay? Oh, and Lily, feel free to jump in.

_Okay._

**Okay.**

Well, get ready for this, Sasha: Sirius Black fancies you.

_Impossible._

**Totally possible. Probable, in fact.**

_IMPOSSIBLE! There is no bloody way that Black fancies me!_

Whatever you say, Sasha. We won't argue with you.

_Sarcasm isn't appreciated, Pom-Pom._

**Well, **_**I **_**find it funny. Go Mary! **

_You two are mean! I'm leaving!_

Sasha, class just ended. We're _all _leaving.

_ARGH! STOP BURSTING MY BUBBLE!_

"What's that?" Randy asked, noticing the parchment Sasha, who sat next to him, was furiously writing on. The Seventh Year Gryffindors had History of Magic with the Ravenclaws; however, since there were more Gryffindors than Ravenclaws, Lily and Mary sat together, and Alice and Frank sat together. Delilah sat with Dexter. In fact, if Alice and Delilah didn't sit with their boyfriends, Sasha would've included them in the note conversation as well.

"Oh, nothing," Sasha replied coolly. "Just some notes."

Randy arched his eyebrows. "Then why are you crumbling the parchment up?"

Sasha cursed inwardly. "I accidentally wrote my notes over each other," she lied quickly. "I can't read any of them, so why keep them?"

"I could've helped you," Randy said. "My mum taught me a spell for those kinds of situations."

"Well, it's too late now," Sasha responded. She tossed the parchment into the trash can, gave Lily and Mary a significant look so they'd known that she'd thrown away her parchment and was therefore out of the conversation, and walked back to the table and Randy to get her bag and books.

"Here," Randy smiled, handing Sasha's bag to her.

"Thanks," Sasha grinned at him, throwing the bag over her shoulder.

"No problem. So, listen… there was something I wanted to talk to you about."

"Okay. Shoot."

"Um… alone," Randy spoke, gesturing over to where Sirius Black lingered in his seat. Sasha had a sneaking suspicion that he was eavesdropping on her, and narrowed her eyes at him.

"That works. Lunch is next, anyways," Sasha declared, and she and Randy exited the classroom.

Sirius' gaze stayed on the door Sasha had just gone through. When he had noticed Sasha taking longer than usual to leave the classroom- and Randy staying in the room with her- he had followed his instinct and stayed behind to watch them. This meant, of course, that he had heard the conversation between his fellow Gryffindor and the Ravenclaw boy, and knew exactly what Randy wanted to talk to Sasha about.

And though he didn't know why, Sirius could not, under any circumstances, allow that to happen.

So, convincing himself he was only doing it out of curiosity and _not _because of any feelings he had for Sasha, he stood up and swiftly followed his classmates out the door.

"This is perfect," Randy said, leading Sasha into a corridor that, due to the fact that it was lunchtime, was deserted except for the two of them.

"So, what do you want to talk to me about?" Sasha asked, smiling encouragingly.

"Well… erm…" Randy began nervously, "I know it's a bit last minute, but… would you like to go to Hogsmeade with me tomorrow?"

"Sure!" Sasha exclaimed. "I'd love to."

Randy grinned. "Really?"

"Really," Sasha assured him, standing on her tiptoes and kissing his cheek to prove she meant it. She could practically feel Randy's beam, and giggled. "Want to go to lunch now?"

"Sounds good; I'm hungry," Randy replied. Holding out his hand for Sasha to take, he continued, "I have a feeling your friends will want to know where you've been."

Sasha took his hand and said, "I guess I'll just have to tell them I was with my boyfriend, won't I?"

Randy said nothing in response; he just grinned. Sasha found that his smile was contagious, and the new couple made their way to the Great Hall in a comfortable silence. Neither of them noticed Sirius hiding in the shadows, watching them.

Let's just say that if looks could kill, Randy Cook would be a pile of ashes.

Sasha yawned. She couldn't _believe _how long her homework had taken her- it was almost midnight! Inwardly praying never to hear the word "Gillyweed" again, she rolled up her scroll of parchment and tucked it inside of her bag. Just as she was about to go up the stairs to her dormitory, however, the portrait hole opened, and in swaggered Sirius Black.

He had obviously just come out of a broom cupboard. His tie was hanging loosely around his neck, the buttons on his shirt were undone (exposing an incredibly toned chest that Sasha struggled not to stare at), his pants were sagging, and his usually picture-perfect hair was in a state of total disarray. Not to mention there was lipstick on his face.

"Who was it tonight?" Sasha asked crossly- for some reason, knowing Sirius Black had been in a broom cupboard with a girl infuriated her.

"Belinda Greyson," Sirius replied, fixing his tie. He noticed Sasha purposely looking anywhere but down at his chest, and he smirked; the thought of Sasha finding him at all attractive was strangely pleasing to him.

"The Sixth Year?" Sasha raised an eyebrow. When Sirius nodded, she snorted, "Should've known; she's _exactly _your type: stupid and fake in pretty much every way."

Not being able to think of a scathing retort for that since he agreed completely, Sirius changed the subject. "So, I heard you got together with Cook."

"How'd you hear that?" Sasha asked; she hadn't even told Remus yet!

"I overheard you telling Evans," Sirius lied.

"Oh- okay, then. Well, what about it?"

"I don't think he's good for you," Sirius blurted before he could stop himself.

"What?" Sasha exclaimed, glaring at him. "Who are you to judge who I should and shouldn't go out with, Black?"

"I'm not; I just think that Cook isn't quite right for you."

"Why wouldn't he be? He's nice, smart, and I have fun hanging out with him."

"You need someone who can challenge you," Sirius proclaimed before he could stop himself. "Cook agrees with everything that comes out of your mouth; don't tell me you haven't noticed. You'll be bored out of your mind by the time your date if half over. And sure, he's smart when it comes to school, but that's not the only type of intelligence."

"Oh? And what are the other kinds?"

"Common sense. Street sense. Logic. Knowing what to do, when to do it and how to do it in any given situation. Cook sadly lacks _that _kind of smartness."

"Are you saying that _you're _smart in that way?"

Sirius ignored this question, though in his head he was saying, _Yes, _and told Sasha, "Cook's got no sense of humor; I've never once seen him laugh or make a joke. You need a funny bloke, Berg. Someone who can make you laugh when you're down, joke around with you when you're bored."

"What are y-"

Sirius interrupted her and continued, "Yeah, nice guys are great and all, but Cook's not the only nice guy out there. Besides, the word 'nice' is so… general. It can mean 'kind', 'good', 'decent'; hell, it can even mean 'boring'! I wouldn't be surprised if that's what you meant when you called Cook 'nice'…"

"Hey!" Sasha barked angrily, finally silencing Sirius. "That's my _boyfriend _you're talking about! You have no right to say anything about him!"

"I'm allowed to express my opinions, aren't I?" Sirius retaliated. "I was just telling you what I think of your precious new _boyfriend_." He spit the last word with as much venom as he could muster.

"Well, guess what, Black? I don't give a fuck what you think! I _like _Randy!" Sasha nearly shouted. "What does it matter to you, anyway? Why do you care?"

Various possible replies swirled through Sirius' mind, almost every one of them saying that he did not, in fact, care, and that it _didn't _matter to him. But that might just have been the biggest lie he had ever told, and for some reason, he didn't want to tell Sasha a lie that big. So instead, he told her the truth.

"I don't know," he stated simply, and dashed up to his dormitory.

After a moment, Sasha decided that Sirius Black was one of the weirdest people she had ever met, and went up to her own dormitory, forcing herself not to think of his muscular torso. She did, after all, have a boyfriend.

A boyfriend who she couldn't help wondering if Sirius was right about.

_**Yay! Divider lines! I hope they made the chapter less confusing to read!**_

**_Ah, drama! How fun to write, how awful to experience! Sirius is having some serious inner conflict... and so is Sasha... and so is Lily, a bit... but she FINALLY admitted it! I have to admit, my reaction to that is the same as Sasha's. :D _**

**_PLEASE review! I really want to know what everyone thinks! _**

**_Thanks for reading!_**

**_-Joelle8_**

**_P.S. By the way, I have OVER 21,000 HITS! YAY! Thank you so much, everyone!_**

**_P.P.S. In case you're wondering, 'The Who'- a British rock band from the 70s- published an album named "Tommy", in which every song is centered around the life of a boy named Tommy, who is blind, deaf, and dumb. This fantastic album is what Sasha refers to in her note._**


	40. In Which They Go To Hogsmeade

In Which They Go To Hogsmeade

Lily sighed. How had it ended up that all her friends had gotten dates to go to Hogsmeade with, and she would be going alone? True, her friends had offered to meet her at the Three Broomsticks; but she didn't want to disturb their dates. So, Lily stood up and made her way out of the Great Hall, deciding that she would spend the day catching up on some work.

Before she could get anywhere close to the Gryffindor Tower, however, a familiar voice that made Lily smile nowadays- though it certainly had not always had that effect- called, "Lily! Oi, Lily, wait up!"

James grinned when Lily turned around and looked at him. "What're you doing?" he asked, jogging up to her.

"Going back up to the common room," Lily replied, smiling sadly. "I don't really want to go to Hogsmeade by myself, so I might as well just stay here."

"Nonsense!" James declared. "Lily, if you think I'm going to let you waste your day here, then you've got another thing coming."

"But all my friends have dates-"

"So do all of mine," James cut her off. "I'm stuck by myself, too- but that's not stopping _me _from going to Hogsmeade, so it shouldn't stop you, either!"

"Well, I suppose you have a point," Lily admitted. "Still, I don't really want to spend the day by myself-"

"For the smartest girl in school, Lily, you can be really slow, no offense," James shook his head, noticing Lily blushing at the compliment out of the corner of his eye and inwardly praising himself. "You're not going to hang out at Hogsmeade by yourself- you're going to hang out with _me_!"

"Oh, okay," Lily replied quickly, trying hard not to show just how ecstatic that idea made her. "You don't really have to do that, though." _Wow, _she added mentally, _a few months ago, I'd _never _want to go to Hogsmeade with James- as friends or otherwise! Then again, a few months ago, he wasn't practically perfect and I didn't fancy him…_

"I insist," James smiled. "Besides, I don't want to spend the day by myself, either." _Please agree, please agree, _he inwardly prayed. _I've wanted to go to Hogsmeade with Lily since Fourth Year! I don't care if it's just as friends!_

"Well, if you're sure," Lily spoke, and then, in an act that shocked both herself and her fellow Head, she grabbed James' warm hand. "Let's go."

James beamed down at Lily, thanked Sasha in his head and wished her everything she could ever want in life, and the two began walking down to Hogsmeade.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Remus and Mary sat in the Three Broomsticks, sipping warm mugs of hot chocolate. "So," Remus began, setting down his cup, "where do you want to go first?"

Mary thought for a moment and answered, "I've always wondered what Zonko's is like."

The werewolf raised an eyebrow. "You've never been inside Zonko's?"

"No," Mary shook her head. "Besides Sasha, none of my friends are really into that kind of stuff; and with us, majority rules."

"Well, then we definitely have to go to Zonko's!" Remus answered brightly. "I know the shop like the back of my hand by now from going there so often; I can give you the best tour imaginable."

"I can't wait," Mary giggled. "Can we go to Honeydukes, too? I need some more chocolate."

"Oh, good, I do, too!" Remus exclaimed. Lowering the volume of his voice, he continued, "I keep a stash under my bed- but don't tell James, Sirius or Peter, they'll steal it."

Mary chuckled, responding in a whisper, "As long as you don't tell any of the girls that I always have a box of chocolate in the back right corner of my underwear drawer."

Remus laughed heartily, thinking, _Yep. She's perfect for me._

Mary joined in laughing, and once the two had finally stopped, they finished their hot chocolate and made their way to Zonko's. She gasped as she entered.

"This is _amazing_," she breathed, looking at the gadgets around her with wonder.

"Yes, you are," Remus said, squeezing his girlfriend's hand. She blushed redder than Lily's hair as a result. "Do you want me to show you around? There's one section in particular that I think you'll really like."

"Sure, thanks," Mary agreed. Remus led her around the store, pointing to various object and telling her not only the object's name, but also its purpose and average availability. This went on for about half an hour- for the boy gave very detailed tours- until they came to a little back corner of the shop that was closed off from the rest of the store by a purple velvet curtain.

"This is the Creation Room," Remus told Mary quietly. "It's where Mr. Zonko and his family makes all of his products."

"The Zonko family _makes _all of these products?" Mary's eyes widened in astonishment. "But, how? There are so _many_!"

"Well, there are a lot of Zonkos," Remus shrugged. "James, Peter, Sirius and I are good friends with Mr. Zonko; we've been in the Creation Room loads of time. Do you want to go in?"

"Are you sure it's alright for me to go in?" Mary questioned tentatively. "I've never met Mr. Zonko before!"

"Don't worry; Mr. Zonko _loves _visitors, and besides that, he told me I could bring someone back there anytime I wanted to," Remus assured his girlfriend.

"Well, in that case, I'd love to see the Creation Room, thanks," Mary grinned. Remus returned the expression and quietly opened the curtain and he and Mary stepped inside.

Mary gasped. The Creation Room was much, much larger than it appeared from the outside. She assumed there was a Silencing Charm on it as well, since there were at least three dozen people bustling about, chattering gleefully- not to mention loudly. A few people noticed Remus and Mary, and waved at them cheerfully. The two Gryffindors waved back shyly.

Suddenly, a lanky man with a short grey beard walked over to them and clapped Remus on the back. "Lupin, m'boy!" he greeted happily in a clear Scottish accent, and Mary instantly thought of Santa Claus, despite the significant difference in looks. "What brings you here today?" the man continued brightly.

"I wanted to show Mary the Creation Room. I hope that's alright, Mr. Zonko," Remus explained, gesturing to the girl beside him. No sooner had he said "Mary" than Mr. Zonko looked down at the girl, then at the entwined hands, and his face lit up.

"Finally found yourself a girlfriend, have you, Remus?" he chuckled. "It's about time. She's a pretty little lass, too, she is."

"Thank you, Mr. Zonko," Mary blushed, smiling. "It's a pleasure to meet you."

"No need for the formalities, Mary," Mr. Zonko laughed. "We're all friends here! Family, in fact!"

Mary's eyes bugged out. "You mean- you're related to _everyone _here?"

"The Zonko family is the biggest in the known British Wizarding World!" The old man's chest puffed out proudly. "We've run this store for years, though, and we all live here; that's why nobody knows!"

"We were hoping that we could take a look around the Room, if you don't mind," Remus piped in. "Do you think I could show her around?"

"Of course!" Mr. Zonko smiled. "You know this place nearly as well as my own son does by now, Lupin! Just remember- don't touch the merchandise!"

"I'll remember. Thanks, Mr. Zonko," Remus smiled. The man winked at him before going over to where about ten of his relatives were making Dungbombs, yelling warnings about not putting too much Essence of Dung in them. Mary shuddered, and Remus chuckled.

Remus took his time showing Mary the Creation Room. It was, in truth, one of his favorite places; and from the looks of awe on Mary's face, it was becoming one of hers, too. The two laughed together at the workers jumping away from the Nose-Biting Teacups, held their nose when passing the Dungbomb area, and licked their lips when they passed the table where delectable Sugar Quills were being made.

It was, in other words, the perfect date.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"D'you think that Quality Quidditch Supplies will ever open a store here?" Delilah mused, walking hand in hand with her boyfriend through Hogsmeade.

"Who knows," Dexter shrugged. "They really should, though. They'd have loads of business!"

"Exactly!" Delilah agreed. "Tons of Hogwarts kids play Quidditch- and even if they don't, most of them fly! We _need _a shop here that sells broom equipment!"

"Speaking of Quidditch, how's the Gryffindor team?" Dexter inquired, changing the subject. All the House Quidditch teams had been officially formed already- the Gryffindor team had essentially the same players as the previous year, except that a new Keeper- Jeremy Crawford, Sixth Year- had been chosen, as Gregory Vane had graduated.

"Ah, trying to steal team secrets, are you?" Delilah teased, her eyes glinting playfully as she elbowed her boyfriend lightly in the side. "If I tell you, do you promise not to use the information for your personal advantage?"

"I promise."

"Well, then if you ask me, Gryffindor is fantastic. We're going to _cream _Slytherin!"

"I bet you won't beat Ravenclaw, though," Dexter stated, fighting a grin. "If I do say so myself, we're the best I've seen in my years playing Quidditch."

"That doesn't mean you're better than Gryffindor!" Delilah contradicted. "We'll beat your sorry arses!"

Dexter arched his eyebrows. "Are you willing to bet on that?"

"Yes, I am. 20 Galleons?"

"You sure you want to bet that much? I'd bet 5 Galleons if I were you- that way, when _Ravenclaw _wins our first match against Gryffindor, you'll only be 5 Galleons poorer."

"10 Galleons, then- so when _Gryffindor _positively _crushes _Ravenclaw, I'll be a whole 10 Galleons richer!"

"Whatever you say, Delilah," Dexter chuckled. "Whatever you say."

"Yes, whatever I say," the Gryffindor agreed, grinning playfully. "You're learning!"

"What can I say? I'm a Ravenclaw, after all!" Dexter proclaimed. "So, how about Puddlemere United? Can you believe it, they nearly lost to the _Chudley Cannons_?"

"Oh, don't get me _started _on them," Delilah began, and she and her boyfriend talked about Quidditch for the rest of their walk. Neither of them could've asked for anything more- except, perhaps, for Quality Quidditch Supplies to open up a branch in Hogsmeade.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"C'mon, Alice!" Frank urged his girlfriend. "There's nothing to be scared of!"

"But it's _haunted_!" Alice insisted. "That's why they call it the _Shrieking Shack_!"

"Those are just rumors," Frank assured her, putting a comforting arm around her shoulders. "Besides, do you hear anything?"

"No," Alice admitted. "But still…"

"I'll be with you the whole time," Frank told Alice, "but if you _really _don't want to go in, then I won't make you."

Alice looked conflicted. "You promise you won't leave my side?"

"Cross my heart, hope to die, stick a wand tip in my eye," Frank smiled. "I'll _never _leave you, Alice."

The blonde took a deep breath. "Well… then let's go."

"You're sure?"

"Yes, I'm sure," Alice grinned. "I've always been curious about that place anyways."

The couple went into the Shrieking Shack, not leaving the other's side once. In the end, they were glad they had gone in- it was solitary, empty and slightly creepy.

In other words, the perfect place for snogging.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

From under James' Invisibility Cloak, Sirius scowled as he watched Sasha and Randy walk- not touching, thankfully- out of Honeydukes. He knew that he shouldn't be following Sasha while she was on her _date_ (for some reason, the word made him cringe), but he had been telling the truth when he had told Sasha what he thought of her _boyfriend_- that word, for whatever reason, made him flinch as well. In fact, he should've let the matter alone completely, and not canceled his date with Greyson that morning.

But the fact of the matter was that he _did _cancel his date, and he _was _following Sasha. And so he intended to be the best follower (he _refused _to call himself a "stalker", even though deep down, he knew that was what he was at the moment) he could be.

"Let's go to Madam Puddifoot's," Randy suggested. Sasha recoiled from the idea instantly.

"No, let's not," she shook her head.

"C'mon, don't _all _couples go there?" Randy asked. "It's like a rite of passage! Let's just go there for a bit and get some tea; and then, if you _really _hate it, then we can go somewhere else."

"I still don't really wa-"

"Great!" Randy exclaimed, interrupting Sasha as if he hadn't even heard her speak. She frowned; she did _not _appreciate having her opinions ignored. Randy, however, took no notice of this as the two stepped into Madam Puddifoot's.

Sasha and Randy sat down at a pink table covered with a lacy tablecloth next to a window that was, for once, not coated with steam, and therefore could be looked through. Sasha gagged, but swallowed it down, just choosing to look everywhere but at the table. "So, what kind of tea would you like?" Randy asked.

"Hmm… Green Tea," Sasha answered after a moment of thought.

"Okay," Randy smiled, and called over a nearby waitress. "Miss, I'd like a Chamomile Tea, and she'd like a Green Tea, please," he told the falsely cheery woman. Sasha frowned again- she could order for herself! This time, Randy noticed. "What's wrong, Sasha?" he asked concernedly.

"Oh, nothing- just wondering if I should've chosen an Herbal Tea instead," Sasha lied easily. Randy seemed to believe her, so she started up a conversation. "You know, I didn't see you all that often for the beginning of last year. Where were you?"

"You know how Gregory Vane went to Durmstrang for a couple of months as a foreign exchange student?"

"Yeah."

"Well, I did that same thing, except I went to Beauxbatons."

"Wow!" Sasha exclaimed. "That must have been fascinating- I've always wanted to go to France!"

"It was pretty cool," Randy admitted, "even though my classmates were kind of snooty. Most of them, at least." Sasha, distracted, disregarded this comment, however; was it just her imagination, or had the supposedly empty chair at the table across from hers _moved_?

"Here's your tea," the waitress returned, holding two cups of tea. "Green Tea for you," she set one cup in front of Sasha, who smiled in thanks, "and Chamomile Tea for you," she set the other one in front of Randy, who came out of his trance and slipped her a Knut as a tip.

"So, did you learn any French while you were there?" Sasha asked, after taking a sip of her tea and deeming it inedible.

"Some," Randy spoke, taking a sip of his tea and finding it perfectly satisfying. "I wasn't there long enough to learn that much, though."

"That's too bad," Sasha sighed. "I've always wanted to learn French."

"I'm sure you can find a tutor," Randy suggested. "Someone at Hogwarts has to know at least _some _French."

"Yeah."

The two were silent for a few minutes, neither having anything to say. Sasha kept her eyes on the chair that she was convinced she had seen move- seemingly of its own accord- a few minutes earlier. Though it showed no sign of being any different from any ordinary chair, Sasha was still suspicious.

"You know," Randy started suddenly, "your hair would look good in a ponytail."

"Tried that once; I hated it," Sasha replied. "Besides, I like my hair the way it is."

"Well, _I _think you should put your hair in a ponytail," Randy remarked.

"And _I _think that it's _my _hair, and therefore it's _my _decision what I do with it!" Sasha retorted stubbornly.

"Calm down, Sasha!" Randy exclaimed. "I was just making a suggestion! You're completely overreacting!"

Sirius, hearing this from his seat near Randy and Sasha's table, quickly placed his hand over his mouth so Sasha wouldn't hear him chuckling. Merlin, for a Ravenclaw, Randy was _stupid_. You _never _told _any _girl that they were overreacting- _especially _when that girl was Sasha.

"I'm not overreacting!" Sasha disagreed loudly. "It wasn't your place to make a suggestion of any sort! I have every right to say what I want to about my hair!"

"How was it not my place to make a simple _suggestion_?" Randy questioned, frustrated. Sirius stifled his laughter again as Randy pointed out, "I'm your _boyfriend_, after all!"

"That gives you _no right_- none at all- to tell me what you think I should do!" Sasha snapped, her eyes blazing angrily. "Do you think that being my boyfriend gives you a say in how I conduct my life?"

"N-no!" Randy stammered, obviously scared out of his wits. Sasha stood up, furious.

"Well, get this through your head, then: only _I _have a say in my life. And only I will _ever _have a say in my life." Sasha stormed out of the shop angrily, slamming the door behind her. After sighing to himself and shaking his head at his girlfriend's actions, Randy followed her- in Sirius' opinion, as he silently trailed after the Ravenclaw, he took much too long.

"Sasha! Sasha, wait up!" Randy yelled, running to catch up with his girlfriend. To Sirius' chagrin, she stopped almost immediately- for whatever unknown reason, he had been hoping that Sasha and Randy would break up. Sirius quietly followed Randy to Sasha, forcing himself not to stop and marvel at how bloody _gorgeous _Sasha was when she was mad.

"I'm not anyone's property, Randy," Sasha stated as soon as her boyfriend reached her. "I hope you know that."

"I know that, Sasha," Randy responded. "I didn't mean it like that at all, I swear. I'm sorry." Sirius cursed in his head at how sincere the boy sounded- and how quickly Sasha believed him.

"It's okay," Sasha sighed, smiling slightly. "I just… don't particularly like it when people tell me to do things."

"I understand completely," Randy assured her, enveloping her in a hug. Sirius' fists clenched furiously at his sides as he ground his teeth, forcing himself not to attack the boy.

"Not a huggy person!" Sasha exclaimed, looking significantly uncomfortable. Randy jumped back immediately.

"Sorry, I didn't know," he apologized.

"It's fine; just something to know for future reference," Sasha told him.

"So, does that mean we're good?"

"Yeah, we're good," Sasha laughed. "How about we go to the Three Broomsticks?"

"Okay- I just want to do one thing first," Randy said. Before Sasha could ask what he wanted to do, he leaned down and planted his lips on Sasha's. Sirius growled through his clenched teeth, various barbaric ways of killing the Ravenclaw before him flooding his mind. He couldn't remember ever being angrier at a person in his entire life, and that including his Dark-magic-loving, evil, messed up family.

_Who does he think he is? _Sirius wondered in vexation.

_Sasha's boyfriend, _his naughty voice answered.

_Shut up. Don't remind me, _Sirius ordered as Sasha slowly wrapped her arms around Randy's neck, deepening the kiss- he had never wished to be any person more than he wanted to be Randy at that moment.

Sirius turned on his heel and ran all the way back to the castle.

"You know, this is actually… nice," Lily said slowly as she and James strolled through the village. "Nice" was an understatement- this day had been one of the best of her life, and she found herself regretting not accepting James' frequent date proposals earlier.

"I'm glad," James beamed truthfully. The two resumed a comfortable silence until James stated out of the blue, "I think that Hufflepuff Prefect fancies you."

Lily scrunched up her nose in disgust. "Who, Abbott? The Sixth Year?" When James nodded, she shuddered and shook her head. "No offense to Abbott, but… that's kind of revolting."

James chuckled. "Oh? And what makes it so revolting? Abbott's a nice bloke!" _Thank Merlin she doesn't fancy him, _he sighed inwardly.

"Well, he is, but… I fancy someone else," Lily admitted slowly.

The Head Boy arched his eyebrows, trying his best to mask his disappointment and sadness. "Oh? Who is it?"

"I'm not telling you!" Lily exclaimed. She was not a particularly shy person; but there was no way she was going to flat-out tell James that, after so many years of hating him and rejecting him, _he _was the one she fancied.

"Hmm… how about I guess various things about the mystery bloke- age, House, hair, that kind of stuff- and you tell me the answers," James suggested. He was sure that he wasn't the person Lily fancied- that was just too good to be true- but that mean he couldn't make sure the person Lily _did _fancy would never, ever, _ever _mistreat her in any way.

"That sounds reasonable," Lily agreed.

"Cool!" James said. "So… how old is he?"

"Seventeen."

"So, Seventh Year, then?"

"Yep."

"Okay, that narrows it down… what House? Ravenclaw?"

"Nope."

"Hufflepuff?"

"No. Way."

"…Slytherin?"

"Bloody hell, _never_!"

"So… Gryffindor, then?"

"Mm-hm."

"So that narrows it down to me, Frank, Peter, Sirius and Remus. Well, I'm going to guess it's not Frank, since he's dating Alice."

"Good inference. No, I don't fancy Frank."

"I take it you don't fancy Remus for the same reason? That he's dating Mary, another one of your best friends?"

"You take it right."

"Okay, so that leaves me, Peter and Sirius… something tells me it's not Peter."

"You've got _that _right."

"So, that leaves me and Sirius… oh, Merlin, it's Sirius, isn't it?"

"…What makes you so sure of that?"

"What?" James nearly jumped, startled. Could Lily Amaryllis Evans, who he had been madly in love with for three years (if not more), be saying what he thought she was saying?

Lily took a deep breath, summoning all her Gryffindor courage (as well as a blush almost as red as her hair), repeated, "What makes you so sure I fancy Sirius?" When James didn't respond, looking in shock and deep in thought, she continued, "Personally, I've always thought that he and Sasha would be a perfect match- especially this year."

"But-" James finally stammered, "But that only leaves… me." _Is this really happening? Or is this just a dream? I've had this dream before…_

"I know," Lily spoke, staring directly into James' striking hazel eyes. "And, listen, I know you probably don't… feel the same way about me anymore, but-"

James cut her off with a kiss unlike any Lily had experienced before. It was soft, gentle and sweet; yet at the same time, it was filled with so much passion, so much emotion, that Lily responded without hesitation, putting her arms around James' neck as he placed his arms around her waist, pulling her closer to him, kissing him with as much feeling as she could muster.

Finally, the two broke apart for air. Lily breathing was heavier than usual as she said, "But I thought you got over me!"

"I could _never _get over you, Lily," James replied. "How could you think that?"

"You haven't asked me out since Seventh Year started, and you haven't tried to impress me in any of the ways you usually do-"

"I finally figured out that you hated it when I did that kind of stuff," James explained, "so I stopped. I 'deflated my head', so to speak."

"For me?"

"For you."

"But… why would you do all that just for _me_?" Lily questioned, gazing into the loving eyes of the boy- no, man- she had hated for so long.

"I'd do _anything_ for you, Lily," James told her, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear, savoring the feel of it. "Anything."

The words were so sincere, so heartfelt, that the realization hit Lily like an avalanche: she didn't just _fancy _James Potter, she was _in love _with him.

"I love you," Lily blurted before she could stop herself.

James couldn't have been any happier if he had tried. "You have no idea how long I've wanted to hear you say that," he breathed. "I love you, too."

The two Gryffindors wore identical grins- though, in truth, that was an understatement- as they leaned in to kiss each other again.

The day wasn't _one _of the best days of their lives anymore. It was _the _best day of their lives.

_**AAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! FINALLY! So, do you like how Lily and James got together? I think it's pretty darn cute, myself. :D Poor Sirius; he is soooooooooooooo whipped! **_

**_So, what did you think of this long, romance-filled chapter? Like it? Hate it? PLEASE tell me in a REVIEW! I am BEGGING you!_**

**_Oh, by the way, I have over 22,000 hits for this story, as well as over 375 reviews! Thank you all sooooooooooooooo much!_**

**_Thanks for reading!_**

**_-Joelle8_**


	41. In Which Remus Can't Believe It

In Which Remus Can't Believe It

"I still can't believe it, mate," Remus laughed, shaking his head at the sight of Lily Evans _willingly _perched on James Potter's lap as the Gryffindor Seventh Years sat in their common room. "Never thought it would happen."

"Neither did I," Lily giggled.

"Oh, you knew you'd fall for my devilish good looks and winning charms someday!" James exclaimed playfully, kissing his girlfriend on the cheek. He felt like he had bathed in sunshine, or had landed on Cloud Nine, or something equally sappy; he was just that happy.

"I believed in you, Prongs!" Peter squeaked supportively, smiling.

"Thanks, Wormtail," James grinned back.

"You know, I really don't know why everyone's still in shock about it," Mary interjected, her shoulders being warmed by Remus' long arm. "It's been over a week!"

"Think about who you're talking about, Mary," Alice piped up from her seat in front of the couch, her head on her boyfriend's shoulder. "_Lily Evans _and _James Potter _are going out! After so many years of him chasing her, and her refusing him in every possible way! People are bound to be in shock- half of them never even thought it would happen!"

"Yeah- but I'm glad you two got together," Frank said.

"Why?" James and Lily asked in unison.

"Because I got twenty Galleons from it!"

"What the- You bet on us?" Lily exclaimed indignantly as Alice hit her boyfriend's arm.

"Hey!" Frank held up his hands in surrender. "If it makes you feel any better, I bet that you _would _get together with James one day, Lily- obviously, otherwise I wouldn't have twenty Galleons, now, would I? And Alice, love, you have no right to hit my arm- you got seven Galleons from Doris in Hufflepuff!"

"ALICE!"

"Sorry, Lily!" Alice apologized sheepishly, wearing a half smile. "I'm not the only one to be mad at, though; Delilah and Sasha got fifteen Galleons apiece from some Ravenclaws!"

"Where are they, anyways?" Peter inquired, frowning. "Berg and McPhee, I mean."

"Delilah and Dexter are going out for a fly tonight, and Sasha said that Randy has some sort of birthday celebration planned for her tonight," Mary answered softly.

"Well, that explains where Sirius is," Remus grumbled in dismay.

"What do you mean?" Lily questioned curiously.

Remus looked at the boys, silently asking whether he should tell her the truth. When he received three nods, he spoke, "Sirius has taken to following Sasha on her dates with Randy."

"WHAT?" The three girls shouted at once, jumping up from their positions, only to be pulled back down by their respective boyfriends.

"How dare he!" Alice huffed.

"He has no right to do that! No right at all!" Lily added angrily.

"Why has he been following her, Remus?" Mary quietly inquired of her boyfriend. Lily and Alice, hearing this question, immediately stopped chattering about the "injustice of it all" and waited expectantly for the werewolf's answer.

"He won't tell us," Remus answered truthfully. Lily, however, was not satisfied with this answer, and turned her gaze so that she was looking at her new boyfriend.

"James…?" She began, making small, massaging circles on the palm of his hand with her thumb.

"Yes, Lily?"

The redhead turned her torso around and stroked some of the stubble on his face tauntingly, making sure that her lips were pouted just right. "Why has Sirius been following Sasha on her dates?" She lightly brushed her lips against his before pulling away slowly.

James shivered at her touch before blurting out, "We think he fancies her."

Lily smiled, "Thank you, James," before crashing her lips against her boyfriend's lips yet again.

"Oi!" Frank exclaimed, putting one hand over Alice's eyes and the other hand over his own as the kissing escalated. "Get a room!"

Lily and James broke apart, looked each other in the eye for a moment, having a silent conversation, and then simultaneously told Frank, shrugging nonchalantly, "Okay." They then got up from the plush red chair in the Gryffindor common room and went up to the girls' dormitory (after, of course, casting the counter curse to the charm on the staircase beforehand).

"Who thought we'd see the day?" Mary chuckled after a pause.

"Not me, that's for sure," Remus replied. "By the way, could you… y'know… not tell Sasha that we think Sirius fancies her? He hasn't even admitted it to himself yet, and no matter what happens, he'd kill us if Sasha found out."

"Sure thing," Alice agreed. "Besides, we'd only have something to gain from that if Sasha was single- which she isn't. Unfortunately."

"What's so unfortunate about it?" Frank asked. "I thought you liked Randy!"

"He's nice, but…" Alice trailed off. "I don't know. He's just not my most favorite person, I guess."

"Fair enough," Mary nodded, deep in thought.

"Are you guys going to do anything for her birthday?" Peter spoke up suddenly.

"We all bought her presents, but that's about it," Alice admitted, trying not to show that she had forgotten that the short boy was even there. "She said she didn't want anything big, and we decided to actually listen to her for once since Randy is putting together something for her."

"That makes sense," Frank nodded. "So… no firewhiskey or anything?"

"Nah; she had a little too much last time, and we do _not _want a repeat of that!" Mary shook her head fervently, memories of that night replaying in her mind. The hangovers the next morning had been quite hilarious, though, as her head had been as clear as a blue sky in the middle of summertime.

"A _little _too much?" Remus snorted. "More like _four bottles _too much!"

"True," Alice conceded. "So, what are you lot doing for Black's birthday? It's tomorrow, isn't it?"

"Yeah, it is," Peter said. "We're going to have a party in our dorm."

"You want to come?" Frank questioned Alice and Mary. "There'll be candy, music, games, firewhiskey; not to mention outrageously handsome men, of course." Everyone laughed at this, and Alice gave her boyfriend a light, playful push before kissing him on the cheek.

"What kind of games?" She wondered aloud.

"For whatever reason, Sirius is _obsessed _with this Muggle party game, called 'Strip Truth or Dare'. So, of course, we have to play it," Remus explained.

"What's that?" Alice asked wondrously.

"You don't want to know," Mary muttered so quietly that no one but Remus could hear her. He chuckled and squeezed her shoulders.

"You'll find out if you come to the party!" Peter told Alice excitedly.

"Fine- we're in," Mary said. "We'll tell Lily, Delilah and Sasha, too; hopefully, they'll come along as well."

"I'm sure they will. After all, Lily's dating James now- wow, it still feels really, really weird to say that- Sasha is friends with James and is practically my sister, and Delilah… well, she'll come if Sasha and Lily do, I bet," Remus pointed out. "Plus, she likes firewhiskey."

"True that," Alice and Mary agreed.

"Strip Truth or Dare is going to be interesting," Peter mumbled under his breath.

"What _is _strip Truth or Dare?"

"Oh, you'll see, Alice," Frank assured his girlfriend earnestly, his eyes glinting mischeivously. "You'll see."

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"Where are we going, Randy?" Sasha asked her boyfriend, slightly impatient, slightly amused, and slightly excited, all at once. Randy had had a mischievous, proud glint in his eye when he had told her he had a surprise planned for her birthday- a glint that was responsible for Sasha wanting to learn what the surprise was as soon as possible.

"You'll see," Randy responded, smiling. "Be patient!" Sasha frowned at this; it seemed to her like Randy was always telling her to do things! It was always, "Be patient", "Be quieter", or "Don't do that", "You should do this." It was infuriating! Sasha really liked Randy, she truly did, but in her past just-over-a-week-long relationship with him, he had gotten on her nerves more times than she could count!

There was something else unsettling about her relationship with Randy. He was nice, sweet, smart, good-looking; basically, everything a girl looked for in a guy. And yet, whenever she kissed him, she felt… nothing. Nothing whatsoever. No tingle; no spark; just… nothing. Sure, it felt good to kiss him; he was surprisingly skilled at it, in fact, for a bloke who claimed that Sasha was his first real girlfriend. But when it came to that legendary spark, that electrifying jolt that signified true love, there was nothing.

What _really _mystified Sasha was that she was 110% sure that she had felt that spark before. She didn't know where; she didn't remember when; all she knew was that she had, indeed, felt the spark with someone before. And that 'someone' wasn't her boyfriend, as perfect as he seemed to be.

Sasha heard a light thump behind her, which sounded exactly like a footstep, but when she whipped her head around, she saw nothing. This unnerved her; she was sure that someone was following her, she could sense it. She just couldn't see who was following her, and therefore couldn't tell who it was for the life of her.

"We're here!" Randy proclaimed suddenly, pulling to a stop in front of what Sasha knew was the Room of Requirement. However, so as not to down her boyfriend's cheery, proud mood, she pretended to not know what was so special about this corridor on the seventh floor.

"What's here?" Sasha asked, feigning confusion.

"This is the Come and Go Room. I found it," the Ravenclaw declared proudly. "It transforms itself into whatever a person needs at any given moment- you just have to know how to ask. Cool, right?"

"Wow!" Sasha exclaimed, feigning astonishment. "Yeah, it's totally cool! So, why are we here?"

"Your surprise is in the Room," Randy told her. "Hold on, while I open it." He let go of her hand, and with his eyes closed in thought and concentration, paced in front of the wall. When he opened his eyes, a door had appeared. Smiling broadly at his success, he opened the door and held it open for Sasha. She gasped when she entered, ignoring the quiet shuffling that followed her inside.

The Room was entirely decorated with red and gold, in honor of Sasha being in Gryffindor. There was a fireplace on one of the walls with roaring flames inside, and a chandelier hung from the center of the ceiling. In the middle of the Room was a table for two with tall, lit candles in the center, and beautiful classical music played, though it was impossible to tell where from.

"So, do you like it?" Randy asked his girlfriend hopefully.

"It's _wonderful_, Randy," Sasha said, a small smile on her face. It was, in truth, wonderful; and yet, being the type of girl she was, formal dinners weren't really _her thing_, per say. That didn't stop her from appreciating the effort her boyfriend must've put into the dinner, though.

"You really think so?" Randy questioned hopefully.

"Of course," Sasha assured him, leaning up to kiss him. He responded eagerly, and soon, the kiss was a full-out snog. Sasha enjoyed it; but, she still didn't feel the spark.

The couple was so immersed in their embrace that they didn't notice when the door reappeared and an invisible figure, not at all bothering to be quiet anymore, rushed out, letting the door disappear behind him.

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Sirius panted- partly from the speed at which he had run, partly from pure rage- as he entered his dormitory, slamming the door behind him. Letting out a scream of anger and frustration, he whirled around and punched the wall, leaving a dent in the wood. He punched the wall over and over again, venting his fury, even after his knuckles began to bleed.

"Padfoot! What the hell are you doing?" Remus chose that moment to enter, and eyed his friend's actions with evident alarm.

"What"-punch-"does"-punch-"it"-punch-"_look _like, Moony?" Sirius growled, still punching the wall. "I'm punching this bloody wall!"

"If anything's bloody, Pads, it's you," Remus pointed out. "Look at your hands!"

"I _know_, Remus, I know!" Sirius shouted. "And I don't fucking care!" He continued punching the wall, grunting every few seconds, his anger not close to being completely vented.

"Sirius, _calm down_!" Remus ordered, grabbing his friend's fists before he could injure them anymore. "Hurting yourself isn't going to solve anything!"

"It feels good, though," Sirius grumbled.

"Well, that's too damn bad. Punch your pillow, if you're going to punch anything- _not yet_, Sirius! Do you _want _to get blood all over your pillow? Let me heal your hands first!" Remus demanded, getting his wand from his bedside table. Pointing it at Sirius' hands, he muttered, "Vulnera Sanentur," and the blood flow eased. He said the spell two more times, and soon, the cuts were completely healed. "Tergeo," the werewolf spoke, and the dried blood on Sirius' hands vanished.

"Thanks," Sirius mumbled before proceeding to punch his pillow so hard that a few goose feathers fell out.

Concerned for his friend's well-being, Remus asked, "What's wrong, Padfoot? I've _never _seen you this angry before."

"_Nothing's _wrong, Remus," Sirius replied. "Abso-bloody-lutely nothing."

"You're awful at lying when you're angry," Remus chuckled. "So, why are you so mad?"

Sirius' response was incomprehensible. "I'm sorry, what was that?" Remus questioned, cupping his hand around his ear. "I didn't quite catch what you said."

"It's Berg, okay?" Sirius shouted, dropping the pillow onto the ground and whirling around to face his werewolf friend. "I can't take it anymore! Her and that arsetard Ravenclaw- what does she see in him, anyways? He's the most boring bloke I've ever met in my entire life! I don't even know why he's in Ravenclaw- he's not _that _smart! Why is she with him? Why does she always have to go around _snogging _him everywhere? It's… it's… it's _revolting_!"

Remus arched his eyebrows. "Is that _all _you're upset about- that Sasha and Randy are going out? Why does that upset you so much?"

"BECAUSE I BLOODY LOVE HER, OKAY?_" _Sirius yelled, throwing his arms in the air in frustration. Taking a few deep breaths to calm himself down, he continued, significantly quieter, "I- I'm in love with her. And seeing her with another bloke… it's killing me, Remus. Every time I see her with _him_, I want to murder him with my bare hands, I want to squeeze the life out of him, chop him into little bits, and throw him into a bonfire!"

Remus was silent for a moment before asking quietly, "What made you realize it?"

"Realize what?"

"That you love Sasha."

Sirius took a deep breath before admitting, "Honestly, now that I think about it, I've been in denial since summer- you know, when we visited her. And seeing her with Cook makes me so _angry_… though really, it's mostly jealousy. Just now, I saw her snogging Cook _again_, and I just… couldn't take it. It felt- and I know this is really cheesy, so don't you dare laugh- like my heart had been ripped in two. That was when I realized that I love her."

"There's nothing wrong with being cheesy, Padfoot," Remus told his friend comfortingly. "Especially when it's the truth."

"What am I going to do, Moony?" Sirius groaned, collapsing onto his bed. "I'm in love with my enemy! And to make matters worse, she has a _boyfriend_! I'll do lots of things, Moony, but I won't break up a relationship- especially when it makes her happy. I won't sink that low, no matter how much I want to."

"You should show this side of you more often," Remus commented after a short pause.

"_What _side of me? The angry, heartbroken side?"

"No- the just, considerate side with good moral values," Remus corrected him. "Sasha likes those kinds of things in a bloke- I think that's why she went for Randy. He's basically a decent guy."

"He's an arse."

"Of course _you _think he's an arse, Padfoot, you're in love with his girlfriend!" Remus said exasperatedly.

Sirius ignored him, murmuring, "He doesn't know her at all… he's so _controlling_, always telling her to do things. I mean, anyone who knows her knows that she hates that! More than she hates me, even! And she doesn't like real fancy stuff, she's laid-back. I bet he doesn't even know her favorite color; he probably thinks it's red or gold. Stupid bastard…" He trailed off and then, abruptly, he sat up and faced Remus, his eyes hopefully. "Moony, do you think they'll ever break up?"

"Probably," Remus admitted. "If you ask me, he just doesn't seem quite right for Sasha. Plus, he seems almost _too _nice, y'know what I mean?"

Sirius jumped up excitedly, miraculously not hitting his head against the bedpost. "I've got it!" he exclaimed. "I'll be everything she wants in a bloke that Randy isn't. I'll prove that I'm better for her than he is. And then, when they break up, she'll want to get together with me! It's brilliant!"

"It could actuallywork," Remus nodded slowly, mulling over the idea. "Don't be too up-front about it, though; be subtle."

"Don't worry, Moony; I've already got it all planned out," Sirius' eyes glinted, obviously scheming. "You wouldn't happen to know French, would you?" he asked the werewolf suddenly.

"My cousin Barbara sent me a French/English dictionary for Christmas last year," Remus replied, slightly refused, as he pulled the dictionary from out of his dresser. "Why do you need it?"

"Sasha's always wanted to learn French," Sirius answered, taking the dictionary from his friend and sitting down on his bed. "What better way to show her that I'm the better guy than by learning French?"

"You know, you're quite intelligent when you put your mind to it," Remus remarked amusedly.

"You didn't know that already?" Sirius snorted, raising an eyebrow. "Now go away, I have to learn the Language of Love."

Remus chuckled as he exited the dormitory, thinking, _Sasha's in for a hell of a ride._

_**I'm going to take you on a trip in my mind, to see what I'm thinking right now: ! HALLELUJAH! SIRIUS FINALLY ADMITTED IT! AND LILY AND JAMES ARE ABORABLE TOGETHER! SO ARE ALL THE OTHER COUPLES!**_

**_Now you know what I think of this chapter, so I want to know what YOU think. So PLEASE review! I only need 4 more to get 400- PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE help me achieve that goal!_**

**_Thanks for reading!_**

**_-Joelle8_**

**_P.S. Two updates in one day! Yay!_**


	42. In Which Mary Reveals Her Secret

In Which Mary Reveals Her Secret

"Why isn't this party at night, Alice?" Delilah asked, putting on a red and gold sweater. "Why in the morning, just before lunch, on a _Monday_?"

"How should _I _know?" Alice shrugged. "All I know is what Frank told me!"

"Do I really _have _to go?" Sasha whined. "It's _Black's _birthday party! Why am I missing classes for _Black_?"

"For the last time, Sasha, _yes, _you have to go!" Lily sighed, tense and annoyed. "And since when do you care about missing classes?"

Sasha had no response to this.

"That's right! You've _never _cared about missing classes before! Whereas _I'm _the _Head Girl_! I've _never _missed a class before unless I was sick! Do you know what could happen if any of the professors found out I was skipping classes because of a _party_? I'd get detention! Or worse, get my Head Girl badge taken away…"

Mary silently walked over to Lily and enveloped her in a hug. "It's okay, Lily," she assured the redhead. "Don't worry, everything will be fine. No one will get in trouble- _especially _not you. There's nothing to worry about."

"Thanks, Mary," Lily murmured.

"How do you do it, Pom-Pom?" Sasha questioned wondrously. "You're the only one who can calm all of us down! How?"

"No idea," Mary replied, letting go of Lily. "I just… can, I guess."

"Well, we're damn glad you can," Delilah grinned. "Now, let's go- I'm ready to party!"

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There was a knock on the Seventh Year Gryffindors boys' dormitory, and Sirius hopped up from his bed. "I'll get it!" He called, rushing to the door. Stopping to take a breath, composing himself and ignoring the laughter of his friends, he opened the door and greeted the girls with a charming smile. "Why, hello, ladies!"

"Hello, Black," Lily said. "Happy birthday." Since she had gotten together with James, she had treated his best friend much more cordially, and was very close to being on a first-name basis with him.

"Thanks, Evans," Sirius beamed. Gesturing inside, he spoke, "Come on in!" The girls shuffled inside, all politely wishing him a happy birthday- except for Sasha, who just nodded curtly. Sirius chuckled under his breath at this.

"Lily!" James ran to hug his girlfriend. "I missed you!"

"I missed you too, James," Lily giggled.

Delilah scrunched up her nose in disgust. "No offense, Lily, but… ew. Where's the firewhiskey?"

"Over there," Remus pointed to a table on the far wall. "We have one bottle for each of us."

Sasha's eyes bugged out of her head. "Only _one_? Why, Brother, _why_?"

"Because you can't hold your alcohol for the life of you, Sister, and we're going to classes after lunch," the werewolf reminded her humorously. "Be glad we decided to give you a bottle at all!"

Sasha glared at him playfully. "Meanie," she muttered, going to the pile of bottles. Sirius quietly followed her.

"Don't worry," he surprised her by whispering in her ear, "I would've made sure you'd gotten a bottle if you wanted one." Sasha's head turned around, and she silently raised an eyebrow, clearing asking, _Are you _flirting _with me? _Sirius told her, "It wouldn't be fair if you didn't get a bottle but everyone else did." Sasha scrutinized him again for a second before subtly nodding her belief.

"Well, thanks, then," she muttered, grabbing a bottle and expertly flipping the cap off. Taking a swig of the burning alcohol, she added, "Oh… and happy birthday."

"Thanks," Sirius all-but-beamed; not that Sasha could see, as she was already walking away. Sirius sighed, snatched his own bottle, and followed her.

In a few minutes, everyone had their own bottle of firewhiskey and were sitting in a circle on the ground. "So, what now?" Delilah asked.

"Music, that's what!" James replied, pulling his wand out of his pocket. He pointed it at a Muggle record player and proclaimed, "Lascivius musicus!" Instantly, "Smoke on the Water" by Deep Purple began playing.

"Oh, I LOVE this song!" Alice squealed excitedly, leaning into Frank.

"Me too!" Frank grinned. "I love the guitar part, don't you?"

"Yeah, it's awesome!" Alice agreed.

"Not as awesome as you," Frank declared, nuzzling his girlfriend.

Delilah grimaced in disgust again. "What the hell? What's with all the mushy-gushy action today? I thought we were here for a _party_, not a _lovefest_!"

"Good point," Mary replied. Turning to her boyfriend, she inquired, "Are we going to play that game you told us about yesterday? Strip Truth or Dare?"

"HOLY SHIT!" All of the sudden, Delilah and Lily both jumped up in alarm. "We're playing _Strip Truth or Dare_?"

"Mary, why didn't you tell us?" Lily questioned, in full freak-out mode.

"We would've worn sweaters!" Delilah added. Then, realizing that she was, in fact, wearing one anyways, she put in, "More sweaters, that is!"

"I'm confused!" Sasha exclaimed. "What's Strip Truth or Dare?"

"Have you ever heard of the Muggle game, Truth or Dare?" Peter asked.

"Yeah, I think so. Don't you ask one person if they want a truth or a dare? And if they pick truth, you ask them a question about anything that they have to answer honestly, and then if they pick dare, they have to do a dare of your choice?"

"Exactly."

"Okay, so what's _Strip _Truth or Dare?"

"You have a choice not to do your dare or answer your truth question," Sirius cut in. "But if you choose not to do your dare or answer your question, you have to take off a piece of clothing. Except- for the sake of all of our innocence- we can't go down to just our underwear. Boys can't just be in boxers, and girls can't just be in bras and panties."

"Did you come up with that rule, Black?"

"'Course not, Evans! Remus did."

Alice and Sasha took a moment to comprehend all of this before leaping up in a manner identical to Lily and Delilah. "BLOODY HELL!"

"Mary, why aren't you surprised?" Remus asked his girlfriend curiously.

"Oh, I am," the curly-haired girl assured him. "I'm just good at hiding it. Besides, I had a guess as to what it was."

"_Then why didn't you warn us_?" Delilah, Alice, Lily and Sasha loudly hissed at the same time.

Mary shrugged. "I thought it would be funnier if I didn't say anything." The boys burst out laughing at this, and the girls couldn't help but join in.

"I guess it'll be fairer this way," Alice admitted, sitting back down practically on top of Frank.

"That doesn't mean we have to like it," Delilah grumbled, as she, Lily and Sasha sat down again.

"Let's start playing," Remus suggested, but Frank cried out,

"Wait! We're missing the bottle!"

"What bottle?" Mary inquired softly.

"This bottle," Frank answered, pulling a bottle out from behind him and placing it in the center of the circle. "You spin it, and whoever it lands on, you have to ask Truth or Dare."

"That makes sense," Lily nodded slowly. "Well, let's get started!"

"Who wants to go first?" James looked around at his companions.

"Me! I'm the birthday boy!" Sirius shouted excitedly, and everyone- even Sasha- laughed at how much he resembled an eager five-year-old. Grinning, he spun the bottle, and it landed on Peter. "Wormtail, Truth or Dare?"

"Truth."

"Have you ever kissed a girl- _besides _your mum?"

The boys snickered at this question, but Peter drew himself up and proudly replied, "Yes, I kissed Mallory."

The Marauders and Frank blinked at this before their faces broke out into huge grins and they patted the short boy on the back. "_Nice_, Peter!" Frank complimented.

"Good going!"

"Wormtail _actually _got some!"

"WAIT!" Sirius held up his hands, and everyone quieted and turned to look at him. "We forgot something!" He looked at James pointedly.

"Oh! Right!" the Head Boy exclaimed, jumping up and running to his dresser. He pulled out a vile of a colorless, odorless substance that resembled water but couldn't possibly be and rushed back to his friends.

Lily, immediately recognizing the substance, gaped at him. "James, you're _Head Boy_!" she scolded. "How could you steal Slughorn's Veritaserum?"

"Oh, it was really quite easy," James replied, suppressing a grin. His girlfriend rolled her eyes.

"Wait- we have to take _Veritaserum_?" Sasha's eyes widened, and she gulped nervously.

"Yep," Remus nodded. "So, Peter- take a swig, and _then _tell us if you've ever kissed a girl besides your mum."

"O-Okay," Peter stammered, taking a small sip of the Truth Potion. Sirius then asked him the question again, and he responded, "Y- no."

"It's okay," Remus patted his shoulder consolingly. "You will soon."

"Yeah, no worries, Peter," Frank smiled comfortingly. "You'll kiss her soon enough."

"Can I spin the bottle now?" Peter questioned, obviously down.

"Sure. And drink some firewhiskey- it's a _great _pick-me-up," Sasha advised kindly. Sirius marveled at how good of a person she was- to everyone but him, that is.

Peter took her advice and then spun the bottle.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Twenty minutes later, Delilah hadn't taken off any of her clothes, Sasha had only taken off her socks, Lily and Alice had taken off their sweaters, Mary- being the shy girl she was- had refused to answer many questions and do many dares, resulting in her being unable to take off any more clothes and refuse to answer a question or not do a dare. Remus had taken off his tie, Frank had taken off his tie and vest, James was shirtless (more out of wanting to show off his admittedly muscular chest than anything else), Sirius would be shirtless if he took off one more article of clothing, and Peter was sockless.

Delilah had just spun the bottle, and it had landed on Sirius. She grinned evilly. "Truth or Dare, Black?"

"Dare, of course."

Her evil grin reached all the way up to her eyes, creating a fairly creepy effect. "I dare you to snog Sasha."

"WHAT?" Sasha hopped up indignantly. "DELILAH GRACE MCPHEE, HOW _DARE _YOU! _I HAVE A BOYFRIEND! _THERE IS NO WAY IN HELL I AM GOING TO SNOG SIRIUS BLACK!"

"Calm down, Berg!" Sirius spoke, taking off his shirt. "I'm not going to make you snog me if you don't want to."

"Oh- um- well, then… thanks, Black," Sasha replied, slightly disconcerted by the sight of her enemy's six-pack.

"Pas de probleme," Sirius smiled at Sasha kindly. Her mouth all put dropped open.

"Since when do you speak French?" she wondered aloud, almost grinning. Sirius just winked at her.

"Good job," Remus silently mouthed to Sirius from across the circle as Sasha turned back to Lily. He knew how hard it must've been for Sirius to have actually refused that particular dare.

"Thanks," Sirius mouthed back. He spun the bottle, and it landed on Mary. "Truth or Dare, Macdonald?"

The quiet girl thought for a moment before deciding, "Truth."

"Okay… take a swig of Veritaserum, I need a minute to think of a question," Sirius ordered. Mary obediently took a small sip of the truth-telling serum just as Sirius thought of a question. He smiled mischievously. "I've got it! Are you a virgin?"

If Mary had been drinking anything when she had heard that question, she would've spit it out in shock. As it was, her face paled considerably, and she began shaking with fear. Her friends looked at her in concern, which changed to shock as the quiet girl stuttered, "N-N-No."

They could've heard a pin drop in the room. Everyone was completely in shock- _Mary Macdonald, _the shy, kindhearted bookworm, had had _sex_? It was like a foreign concept. Mary slowly started crying, humiliated and horrified, with every eye on her.

"I didn't want to," she sobbed. "I didn't want to."

This broke everyone- even Remus, whose heartbreak was visible on his face- out of their shocked trances. "What do you mean, Mary?" Lily asked gently. "What do you mean, you didn't want to?"

Mary sniffled. She supposed that now she'd have to tell her friends the whole story- as painful as it was to tell it. "D-Do you remember in Fourth Year, when M-M-Mulciber and Avery were caught for using D-D-Dark Arts on me?"

"Yeah."

"Well, th- they used the Imperius Curse." As if on cue, the Gryffindors gasped in horror, but Mary held up a shaky hand, signaling for them to be quiet so she could continue her story. "But th-they didn't do it quite right… they were only F-Fourth Years, after all. They could control me, but… I-I was still in my right mind. I still knew wh-what was happening, and who was making it happen, and h-how.

"It was mostly M-Mulciber, really… Avery just stood there and l-laughed. Mulciber… he was the one who did the spell. He- he made me beat myself. Hard. That's how I got the bruises. Th-Then…" Mary stopped, choking back a sob before she admitted in scarcely more than a whisper that her companions had to strain to hear, "he _raped _me." She broke out into a waterfall of tears, and Remus, understanding completely now, wrapped his arms around his girlfriend, pulling her close to him. She buried her head in his chest, soaking his shirt through. "You're not mad at me?" she murmured disbelievingly through her tears.

"Of course not, Mary," Remus told her quietly. "You did nothing wrong." In response to this, Mary continued crying.

Peter looked alarmed and frightened. Frank, James and Sirius had their fists angrily clenched at their sides. Alice and Lily were pale white, still in shock. Delilah was red with anger, fists clenched, shaking with fury. Sasha was in a state almost identical to Delilah's, except for you could _feel _the anger radiating off of her. It was as if she was surrounded by invisible flames, but this wasn't the most frightening thing that Sirius saw. No, the scariest thing about her was that her eyes were flickering between their usual brown color and the catlike green orbs of Godric Gryffindor.

_That _can't _be good, _Sirius thought.

He was right.

Without saying a word to anyone, Sasha stood up and marched out of the dormitory, and it was all too obvious she was going to find Mulciber. Lily and Alice broke out of their shock as they watched their friend leave, both muttering, "Oh no."

"What's wrong?" Frank asked, as James wondered the same thing with his eyes.

"Sasha- she's going to find Mulciber," Lily replied softly, sounding terrified.

"Oh no," Remus' eyes widened, instantly understanding.

"What? What's wrong? The bastard deserves whatever Sasha's gonna do to him!" James exclaimed.

"You don't get it," Sirius shook his head slowly. "She's going to kill him, Prongs. And no, it's not an exaggeration- she's _literally _going to murder him."

For whatever reason, James- and everyone else- believed him, to his great relief. They all silently jumped up and ran out of the dormitory to find Sasha before she could label herself a killer.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Sasha threw open the doors of the Great Hall with ease, and all of the students eating lunch inside looked at her curiously. When they noticed the rage on her features, they backed away in fear, but Sasha ignored them, turning to the Slytherin table. Her eyes found the stocky, mousy-haired figure of the boy she was looking for instantly, and she stormed over. "_You_," she hissed once she was behind him.

Mulciber turned around and glared at her. "What do you want, blood traitor?"

"How _dare _you," she spat. "How _dare _you do that to poor Mary!"

The Slytherin grinned maliciously, standing up to face Sasha. "Oh, so the Mudblood finally told you her dirty little secret, did she?"

"Don't you _dare _call her that, you filthy mother-fucker!"

"I think you mean _Mudblood_-fucker," Mulciber smirked.

He immediately regretted it. "_YOU FUCKING SON OF A BITCH!_" Sasha cried._ "I AM GOING TO KICK YOUR GODDAMN ARSE STRAIGHT TO HELL WHERE SHIT LIKE YOU BELONGS!"_

Mulciber took this as his cue to run, but before he could do so, he found himself surrounded by a ring of flames that appeared out of nowhere. He reached into his pocket for his wand, only to look up and see, through a window in the flames, Sasha twirling it between her fingers. Smirking at him, she threw it into the fire, and as it burned to ashes, the Slytherin gulped. Slowly, his hands were surrounded by ice handcuffs that somehow, despite the heat of the fire, didn't melt, even though they chilled his hands considerably. Looking down, he saw that his legs were glued to the ground thanks to a clay case attached to the floor. Air swirled around him, whipping him so unbelievably harshly that he could feel- and see- bruises already forming on his skin.

This was, however, nothing compared to what was going on outside of the ring of fire. Just as nine Seventh Year Gryffindors burst through the doors, Sasha rose into the air, her arms outstretched, wind, water, fire and earth swirling in a sphere around her. Her eyes were closed as she screamed in fury: and when she finally opened them, they were catlike and green, and a red aura of power surrounded her as she let out a roar identical to that of a lion.

"WHAT'S HAPPENING?" Randy shouted from the Ravenclaw table, terrified, over the roar of the winds. "WHAT'S WRONG WITH HER?"

"SASHA! SASHA, PLEASE COME DOWN!" Mary pleaded, louder than anyone had ever heard her before. "DON'T DO THIS! YOU'LL REGRET IT!"

"SISTER!" Remus yelled. "SISTER, YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU'RE DOING!"

Sasha had no response for any of them- however, she fired no spells, no magic, indicating that she heard them.

"BERG!" Sirius called, cupping his hands around his mouth. "BERG, YOU DON'T WANT TO DO THIS! YOU'RE NOT A BAD PERSON, BERG- YOU'RE NO KILLER!"

Still no response. Suddenly, Sirius had an idea, and he thought, _If this doesn't work, nothing will, _before screaming, "YOUR FATHER WOULDN'T WANT YOU TO DO THIS!"

Still in her circle of elements, Sasha turned around and looked down, straight into Sirius' stormy, urgent eyes. Though the fact that her eyes were identical to her mother's, to Godric Gryffindor's and Gydion Gryffindor's, unnerved him, he continued, "YOUR FATHER WAS A GOOD PERSON! WHAT WOULD HE THINK IF HIS ONLY DAUGHTER, HIS PRIDE AND JOY, BECAME A MURDERER FOR SOME GREASY SLIMEBALL WHO ISN'T EVEN WORTH YOUR TIME? HE WOULDN'T WANT THAT, AND YOU KNOW IT! DON'T BECOME A KILLER, BERG- DON'T! FOR YOUR FATHER!"

The Great Hall was totally silent as the fire, earth, water and wind disappeared, and Sasha was lowered to the ground. The ice handcuffs and clay casings holding Mulciber down broke as the ring of fire disappeared and the wind vanished.

Sasha landed on the ground, and she crumbled to her knees, gasping and coming out of whatever trance she was in, her eyes brown again. She panted, exhausted, "I'm so sorry, Daddy," before fainting, her body hitting the ground with a thump.

Sirius rushed forward and picked her up in his arm. Looking around, he saw that Randy- her _boyfriend_- seemed to have no intentions of doing anything, and was just staring, shocked and scared, at his girlfriend. Sirius glared at him before, ignoring the stares and whispers around him, running up to the Hospital Wing with Sasha in his arms. After a moment, the other Seventh Year Gryffindors hurriedly followed him.

From his seat in the middle of the teachers' table, Albus Dumbledore's eyes twinkled.

_**So now we know what really happened to Mary! I hope you want to kill Mulciber as much as I do right now!**_

**_I have a few announcements:_**

**_1. I have 413 reviews! YAY! Thank you SO much, everyone! A special sohut-out to PurpleMonkeyDishwashers, who reviewed multiple times to help me out. :)_**

**_2. Including the Epilogue, there are only FIVE MORE CHAPTERS left in this story! It makes me want to cry! :'(_**

**_3. The French in this chapter, "Pas de probleme", means "No problem." Also, above the first "e" in "probleme", there should be an accent, but I couldn't write it on here without it being super tiny. :(_**

**_Well, that's it for this chapter! PLEASE review!_**

**_Thanks for reading!_**

**_-Joelle8_**


	43. In Which Randy Sends a Letter

In Which Randy Sends a Letter

"Well, you will be pleased to know that I have now wiped all of your classmates' memories clean of that… _incident _last week," Professor Dumbledore informed Sasha. The two were in his office, in their usual position: Dumbledore at one side of his desk, Sasha at the other. The young Gryffindor breathed a sigh of relief, thanking every deity she could think of.

"Oh, thank Merlin," she smiled gratefully. "I was so sure that _some_one would end up not liking tea or something like that and end up ruining my life."

"As a matter of fact, Sasha, I had pumpkin juice as a back-up," Dumbledore's eyes twinkled, grinning kindly. "However, there _were _nine students who refused to drink my tea, as well as my pumpkin juice… I believe you know who they are."

The answer hit Sasha fast and hard, like a bullet, and her eyes widened in horror. "No. No, no, no. I'm not telling them. No. Way."

Dumbledore looked at her sternly. "It is time, Sasha. I know you've kept this secret for a long time, and that you may be hesitant to reveal it to people besides ourselves, but-"

"You're damn right I've kept this secret for a long time!" Sasha exclaimed, not caring about her language at that moment. "_You've _always told me to! Do you suddenly want my friends to have their lives at risk or something of the likes? _I _don't! So _I am not going to tell them that I'm Gydion Gryffindor's Heir!_"

Out of nowhere, there were several quickly stifled gasps from the corner of the Headmaster's office. Sasha's head whipped towards it, and using simple (or at least, it was to her) nonverbal magic, pulled an Invisibility Cloak and a few Disillusionment Charms off of her fellow Seventh Year Gryffindors.

Eight of them were staring at her in wonder; in fact Peter, the poor lad, was trembling with fear. Only Sirius showed no surprise, keeping a perfect poker face.

"Who's Gydion Gryffindor?" Mary finally broke the silence, looking into Sasha's eyes bravely.

"Godric Gryffindor's brother," Sasha replied.

"Sasha," Lily responded her voice shaky, her eyes round and hurt. "Why didn't you tell us?"

Sasha ignored the redhead's question and instead turned to Albus Dumbledore. "You put a Disillusionment Charm over everyone who couldn't fit under James' Cloak."

"Yes."

"You hid them in here."

"Yes."

"You _knew _they were going to overhear me say who I am."

"Yes."

For some reason, the old Professor's calm demeanor infuriated Sasha, and she snapped, "How could you? You know the danger this puts them in- you've always told me not to tell them about it! Why the sudden change of heart, Professor? _I thought you were on my side_!"

"Calm down, Sasha," the Headmaster ordered quietly, his expression unreadable. Taking a few deep breaths, Sasha did so, squeezing the armrests on her chair tightly so she wouldn't blow up the office in her anger. She felt betrayed- _How dare he tell a secret that isn't his! _She thought disgruntled.

"Now then," Dumbledore began once he saw that Sasha no longer had a murderous glint in her eye- even for a powerful, wizened old wizard like him, it was quite frightening. He silently conjured nine chairs around Sasha with a wave of his hands, and he motioned for the other Gryffindors to sit down in them. They did so, and he continued, "First and foremost, Sasha, I am- and always will be- on your side."

"Oh, yeah? Why did you just put my friends at risk like that, then?"

"Sister," Remus spoke softly from Sasha's left. "Let him talk," he suggested, placing a warm hand over hers. Sasha glared at him for a moment, but said no more.

"Thank you, Mister Lupin," Dumbledore nodded at the boy. "As I was saying, Sasha, I am on your side- and that is why I decided your friends should be told of your secret. The Wizarding World is changing all around us; soon, you may find yourself under great stress and pressure, I fear, and it is times like these when friends are most important. However, your friends would not be able to offer you any help with the challenges I expect are coming unless they know that you are the lone descendant of the Gryffindor lineage."

"Wait- you're the _only _one?" James raised an eyebrow.

"Yes."

"But what about Professor Lovegood? She's your cousin, isn't she? Wouldn't that make Gryffindor _her _ancestor, too?"

Sasha shook her head. "No. I'm related to Gryffindor through my maternal grandmother. Amelia is my maternal grand_father_'s brother's granddaughter- so we're second cousins, I think."

The Gryffindors, aside from Sirius, sat up, suddenly realizing that they had never heard Sasha say a word about her mother before. "You've never told us about your mother," Mary spoke her thoughts aloud quietly.

"I know," Sasha said, looking down.

"Why not?" Alice asked abruptly. "You're always talking about your dad, even though he's gone. But this is the first I've heard about your mum."

"I know," Sasha repeated.

"Well, then, why haven't you told us?" Delilah stood up from her chair, angrily facing Sasha. "I thought we were your _best friends_, Sasha! Friends are supposed to tell each other things! They aren't supposed to keep secrets from each other- hell, we're supposed to at least know about each others' parents! So, what the fuck, Sasha? What's going on? You can trust us, you _know _that! So what gives?"

Sasha stood up, anger radiating off of her. "I never told you _because _you're my best friends! Knowing that I'm the Heir of Gryffindor puts you in _huge _danger- don't you get it? The Death Eaters would do anything to get a hold of me- to either make me one of them, or kill me so I wouldn't get in their way. They'll do the same thing to anyone who knows about me!" She took a shuddering breath and continued, softer, "Besides… I was afraid you'd stop being my friends."

Almost in unison, the Gryffindors started assuring Sasha of their loyalty to her until she held up her hand for silence and, shaking her head, murmured, "Please… as much as I appreciate it, you guys, don't say that when you don't know the whole story."

"What story?" Frank asked.

"My dad- he died because of me. The Death Eaters were at my house for _me_- he wouldn't let them in, so they killed him. My mum? Well, here's the story: she was a Squib, and the last of the Greenes, a long line of purebloods descended directly from Gydion Gryffindor. She died shortly after she gave birth to me- and by shortly, I don't mean a few _days_, I mean a few _seconds_. You wanna know why? I was too powerful for her- a non-magical woman- to give birth to," Sasha explained rapidly, clearly wanting to get it over with. Now even Sirius was sitting up attentively- he hadn't known the part about her mother's death.

Sasha turned to the Headmaster and fiercely asked him, "Well? Are you happy? My friends know basically my whole life story. Great. Wonderful. _They're still in danger_."

"Perhaps not," Dumbledore replied. "I have been thinking- even more than usual- and have come to the conclusion that if a secret is placed in the hands of trustworthy people, it is very hard for the _wrong people _to find out about it."

Sasha raised an eyebrow. "Oh? And what makes you think that?"

"Sirius Black is a perfect example," the Professor responded, gesturing to him. "He has known of your secret for months, if I am correct, and yet, nothing life threatening has happened; in fact, nothing particularly out of the ordinary has happened at all. This is because he is a trustworthy individual."

"Wait," Remus spoke up. "You told _Sirius, _but not any of your friends?"

"I didn't tell him!" Sasha said. "He found out for himself!"

"Why didn't you tell us, Padfoot?" Peter inquired quietly, looking up at his friend with admiring eyes.

"It wasn't my secret to tell," Sirius answered, staring straight into Sasha's chocolate orbs, shrugging nonchalantly.

"_Exactly_!" Professor Dumbledore beamed from his chair, and the Gryffindors turned to face him. "It wasn't your secret to tell; so, you told no one. I have no reason to believe anybody else in this room would act any differently."

Sasha sighed, seeing the truth in her Headmaster's words. "Still," she thought aloud, "I don't want any of my friends to get hurt-"

Completely out of the blue, Sirius stood up, grabbed Sasha by the shoulders, and turned the shocked-silent Sasha to face him. "Listen to me," he demanded firmly, and to everyone's surprise (except to maybe Professor Dumbledore's, whose blue eyes twinkled knowingly), Sasha seemed to do so, locking eyes with him. "I've told you this before, and I'll say it again: none of what happened to your father, or your mother for that matter, was your fault. It's not your fault who you are, and you should be pretty damn happy with who you are, because you're a good person, plain and simple as that! Some bad things have happened to you and the people you love, Sa- Berg; that doesn't mean it was your fault, or that it will happen again."

"But something could always happen," Sasha insisted. "Someone could always get hurt, something bad could always happen."

"Bad things could happen to you and your friends even if you _weren't _Gryffindor's Heir," Sirius pointed out. "I understand you don't want any of your friends to get hurt, Berg, but you can't cut them off from your life because of it."

Sasha looked down at her feet, and felt Sirius let go of her shoulders as a smaller, softer hand squeezed one shoulder comfortingly. "We'll be fine, Sasha," Mary smiled quietly. "Don't worry- we'll all be fine."

Sasha sniffed, wiped away a tear, and looked up into her curly-haired friend's face. "You promise?"

"Promise," the Gryffindors chorused simultaneously, gathering around Sasha to give her reassuring hugs that they would always be there for her.

For once, she let them.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Black! Oi, Black, wait up!" Sasha called later that day, running after her dark-haired fellow Gryffindor. He stopped in his tracks and turned around eagerly, the fact that _Sasha _wanted to talk to _him _making his day.

"What's up?" Sirius asked, playing cool even though his heart was pounding a thousand times a minute. _And to think- this time last year, I wished she didn't exist, _he chuckled inwardly.

"Did you really mean everything you said back in Dumbledore's office?" She questioned slowly. She wasn't quite sure why this mattered to her; and yet, it did. She didn't know why her heartbeat quickened so dramatically when she was around him, either…

"What do you mean?" Sirius frowned, cocking his head to the side.

Sasha blushed as she uncomfortably explained, "You know… about me being a good person…"

"Oh, that?" Sirius was about to tell her, _Yes, of course, because you're practically perfect in every way and I'm bloody in love with you_, (okay, maybe not in those _exact _words), when he remembered that Sasha wasn't supposed to know about his feelings for her. So instead, he continued, "Why do you ask?"

"No reason, really," Sasha shrugged. "Just curious."

_Yeah, and _I'm _the Queen of England, _the ever-helpful all-knowing Lily-voice chimed in from inside Sasha's mind.

_Oh, _you _again, _Sasha groaned in her head. _What now?_

_You _really _think you only care about Sirius Black's opinion because you're 'just curious'? _

_I don't _think_, Lily-voice, I _know.

_You know, denial isn't just a river in Egypt. _Sasha could picture Lily saying that, with her eyebrows arched knowingly, her index finger wagging in the air.

_…You do realize that that's one of the oldest lines in the book, right? _

_Yes, _we _do realize that, _the Lily-voice replied. _You know I'm just part of your brain, right? That we're the same person?_

_Shut up!_

"Why? I didn't say anything!" Sirius proclaimed. Sasha blushed, realizing she had accidentally said her last thought out loud.

"I didn't mean you- I was talking to the annoying voice inside my head," Sasha responded swiftly.

"You have one of those, too?" Sirius' eyes widened in surprise, and he lowered his voice as if conveying an important, top-secret message. Sasha nodded, and he smiled hugely, "Same here!"

"Seriously?"

"I'm _always _Sirius."

Sasha moaned. "That grew old about two seconds after you used it for the first time, Black."

"Did not!"

"Did too!"

"Did not!"

"Did too!"

"Did not!"

"Did too!"

"Did not!"

"Erm… Sasha? What are you doing?" A new voice asked from the other end of the hallway. Sirius and Sasha turned to face the voice and saw none other than Randy Cook. Sasha smiled at this, while Sirius scowled.

"Arguing with Sirius," Sasha told her boyfriend as if it was no big deal. "What else is new?"

Abruptly, she noticed the two boys staring at her in what could only be described as utter shock. "What?" She asked, raising one confused eyebrow.

"You called me Sirius," the Gryffindor spoke slowly, as if afraid saying it out loud would jinx it.

Sasha thought for a moment before declaring, "Well, I guess I did- you earned it, in any case."

"Why?"

"You're not as bad as I thought," Sasha answered simply, shrugging her shoulders. "See you around, Sirius." Ignoring how fantastically his name rolled off her lips, she turned to walk with Randy.

"Bye, Sasha!" Sirius shouted to her retreating figure, savoring the feeling of saying her beautiful name, and it was only by a faint jerk of her head that he knew she had heard him.

Relishing in how perfectly his name sounded when Sasha said it, Sirius jumped in the air and let out a big whoop of joy.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Sasha chortled under her breath when she heard Sirius' verbally-expressed joy, so in wonder at how superb her name sounded coming from his lips that she didn't bother to wonder why he was so incredibly pleased. Randy did, however, and frowned, "I'm not so sure I want you hanging out with Black, Sasha."

She stopped in her tracks and turned to face her boyfriend disbelievingly. "You're kidding, right?"

"Why would I be kidding?"

"Maybe because you have _no reason _to tell me I shouldn't hang out with Black!" _Not to mention, you have no right to tell me who I can and can't hang out with at all!_

"'No reason'? Sasha, have you _seen _the way he looks at you?" Randy asked, his eyebrows arched questioningly.

"_What _way he looks at me?" Sasha wondered. "Randy, he looks at me like he looks at any normal person."

"No, he doesn't," Randy shook his head. "He _fancies_ you."

Sasha burst out laughing, ignoring the leap her heart gave at the very thought of it. "Randy, have you been sneaking in some firewhiskey from Hogsmeade lately or something? 'Cause that's the only way you'd think that _Sirius Black _would have any feelings for me whatsoever."

"I'm not imagining things, Sasha!" Randy insisted. "He wants you!"

Sasha rolled her eyes. "Randy, he wants _everyone_," she reminded him (and herself). "He's a player. A womanizer. A man-whore, if you will. He wants _every _girl who looks even halfway decent. If he was looking at me any special way, it was just because he thinks I'm hot."

"I still don't want you hanging out with him."

"And who are _you _to tell me who I can and can't hang out with?" Sasha roared angrily.

"Your _boyfriend_."

"And a douchbag, apparently! What are you going to do next, tell me you want me to stop being friends with Remus?"

Randy was silent, refusing to look Sasha in the eyes. She took this as a "Yes".

"Bloody hell, Randy! Remus is like the brother I never had!"

"But, you two are always touching each other-"

"What the fuck are you talking about? Remus and I _never _touch each other! Sure, we hug, but-"

"Exactly! He's the one person you hug on a regular basis!"

"That's because he's like _family _to me, Randy!" Sasha said exasperatedly. "And I don't know what _you _were brought up to believe, but my daddy always taught me that family comes first!"

"Whatever," Randy sighed, clearly still under the impression that he was right. "Let's just drop it, okay?"

"Fine by me," Sasha grumbled. "I'm going up to my dormitory. See you later."

"Bye, Sasha."

Walking up to Gryffindor Tower, she couldn't help thinking how much better that had sounded when Sirius had said it.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Up in his Ravenclaw dormitory, Randy groaned in frustration. Why did his girlfriend have to be so bloody _stubborn_? He was just making a suggestion- as her boyfriend, she should listen to him!

He pulled a quill and a piece of parchment out from his dresser and sat down at a polished wooden desk. He scribbled out a hasty, yet well thought out, letter.

_Dear Aubrey,_

_Hogwarts is going well so far, though I greatly miss Beauxbatons. How are you? I'm sorry for not having written sooner- schoolwork here is not only boring, but takes ages to do! _

_Nothing much interesting here to tell you about. My father said you may be able to visit us over Christmas Vacation. Write to me to tell me if you can._

_I miss you- no girl here is even close to as beautiful or intelligent as you, and I still have no idea why you settled for a bloke like me who's not nearly good enough for you._

_Hope to hear from you (and see you!) soon._

_Love, _

_Randy_

He smiled to himself as he folded the letter. For some reason, writing to his girlfriend back in Beauxbatons always made him feel so much better; maybe because it helped remind him that he had somehow won the hearts of the most beautiful girls at both Beauxbatons _and _Hogwarts.

Smirking with pride and humming a merry little tune, Randy made his way to the Owlery.

_**Bad, Randy! Bad! Bad!**_

**_So, what'd you think? PLEASE tell me in a REVIEW! It would mean a lot to me!_**

**_Thanks for reading!_**

**_-Joelle8_**


	44. In Which Quidditch is Played

In Which Quidditch is Played

"…And let's welcome the Ravenclaw team onto the field!" Carrie Jordan, a cheery Fifth Year Gryffindor, shouted into the microphone at the first Quidditch game of the year at Hogwarts. "Corner! Smith! Davies! Chang! Boot! Patil! Birch!" The members of the Ravenclaw Quidditch team came out as they were called, pumping their fists in the air as the Ravenclaws and Slytherins in the stands cheered.

"And now, let's give some love to the Gryffindors!" Carrie shouted, and the Gryffindors and Hufflepuffs (most of them, anyways) burst into loud, raucous applause. "McPhee! Potter! Mayfield! Crawford! Black! Berg! Walker!" The players ran out onto the field, cheering for themselves, flashing confident smiles at the crowd.

"Mount your brooms!" Madam Hooch, the referee as always, ordered once both teams had calmed down. "I expect a fair game from the lot of you! Now, captains, shake hands." Delilah stepped forward and held out her hand to her boyfriend, who grabbed it but instead of shaking it, kissed it gently. She blushed as Dexter winked at her and the crowd burst out laughing; some of the boys even whooped.

"Got your 10 Galleons ready?" Delilah asked him, grinning, her eyes sparkling with anticipation and mirth. "I know that I can't wait to get them."

"I think a better question is do _you _have 10 Galleons?" Dexter chuckled, eyes twinkling. "Because we both know _I'll_ be the richer one after this game."

"You wish," Delilah snorted in a very unladylike manner. Dexter just chuckled.

"Captains! Enough chatter!" Madam Hooch barked suddenly. "Is everyone ready? Yes? Good!" With that, she blew her whistle, and the game began.

Gryffindor got a hold of the Quaffle, and Carrie immediately began her commentating. "And it's McPhee, that's Delilah McPhee, Chaser and the Gryffindor Captain, with the Quaffle! Passes to Potter, narrowly swerving around her boyfriend, Ravenclaw Captain and Chaser Dexter Corner. Potter dodges a Bludger hit by Boot and- he's approaching the goalposts- POTTER SCORES! TEN POINTS FOR GRYFFINDOR!" A good half of the audience burst into cheers, and James did a celebratory loop-dee-loop.

"WOO HOO! GO JAMES! YEAH! THAT'S HOW YOU DO IT!" Lily's cheers seemed to be much louder than the rest- to James, at least.

"Davies has the Quaffle!" Carrie yelled abruptly into her microphone, and James turned his attention back to the game. "Passes to Birch! Birch flies closer to the goalpost- he's gonna throw- WAIT! He's hit by a Bludger, courtesy of Sasha Berg of Gryffindor! And Birch drops the Quaffle, caught by Mayfield, a Gryffindor Chaser! Well, she's certainly not waiting for anyone else, folks- she zooms straight to the Ravenclaw goalposts- shoots- OH! The Quaffle is caught be Keeper Patil! Bad luck, Mayfield- you'll get it next time! It'll go straight past that rotten Keeper and-"

"Jordan! Get back to the game! WITHOUT opinions!"

"Yes, Professor McGonagall! I'm on it! Corner has the Quaffle now- he swerves, barely misses a Bludger from Gryffindor Beater Sirius Black, is it just me, or does McPhee not look too pleased with her Beater right now?- he shoots- and scores! The score is now a tie: ten to Ravenclaw, ten to Gryffindor." Though Carrie sounded genuinely upset, the Ravenclaws and Slytherins burst into raucous cheers.

"Nice try, Sirius!" Sasha shouted to her Beating partner, pulling her broom to a stop next to him. "You almost got him!"

"A good Beater doesn't miss, though," Sirius growled, upset with himself. Even though Sasha was talking to him, his mood stayed sour.

"Well, think of it this way: if you _had _hit Corner, Delilah probably would've torn you limb-from-limb!" Sirius laughed, knowing that she had made a good point, and the two went back to the game.

The game went on for about another thirty minutes, and after a fairly even game, the score was tied yet again- 140 to 140- before Carrie excitedly screamed, "And Walker of Gryffindor has seen the Snitch!" Everyone turned their attention to the Gryffindor Seeker who was, indeed, trailing closely after the infamous golden ball. William Chang, the Ravenclaw Seeker, immediately zoomed after him, quickly catching up. Both Seekers had their arms outstretched, their bodies angled to make themselves go as fast as possible, until finally, Carrie exclaimed, "WALKER'S GOT THE SNITCH! Gryffindor wins their first match of the season, two hundred ninety to one hundred forty!"

The Gryffindors whooped for joy, landed, and ran to congratulate Alex Walker. Delilah felt a tap on her shoulder, and turned around to see Dexter. She smirked up at him and held out her hand expectantly. Sighing, he reluctantly gave her ten Galleons, just as they had agreed. "I figured this would happen," he admitted. Seeing how down her boyfriend was about losing, Delilah smiled and kissed him full on the mouth, ignoring the stares and cheers from the audience.

"A pretty good match, though, I'd say," she grinned once they broke apart.

"Yes, we are," Dexter chortled. Delilah joined in, agreeing with him.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

It was a Sunday morning after the Quidditch match when Alice and Lily came running frantically down the stairs from their dormitory- Mary was already in the common room with Remus, and Delilah was eating breakfast with Dexter.

"FRANK! HIDE ME!" Alice cried, her voice desperate and terribly frightened, hurriedly trying to duck behind her bemused and bewildered boyfriend, who was sitting on the couch. Lily was right after her, and she rushed behind James, who was standing talking to Sirius.

"What's wrong, love?" James and Frank asked their respective girlfriends at almost exactly the same time.

"Sasha's gonna kill us!" Lily exclaimed.

"Brutally!" Alice added as Frank comfortingly wrapped his arms around her.

"Why? What'd you do?" Frank wondered.

"You'll see," Lily and Alice solemnly stated just as a familiar enraged voice in the girls' dormitory shrieked, "LILY AMARYLLIS EVANS! ALICE MARIE PREWETT! YOU ARE GOING TO FUCKING _DIE_!"

Lily and Alice yelped in fear, faces pale and eyes wide. "Help!" Lily squeaked in pure terror, diving onto the couch. James sat in front of her, hiding her almost completely from view. Frank did the same thing for Alice.

"I wonder what they did," James murmured to Frank, who was about to guess something, but as Sasha stomped down the stairs into the common room, they immediately knew.

Sasha's hair was in a long French braid trailing down her back.

Everyone in the Gryffindor common room gaped at her, all of them knowing that she _always _kept her hair down. Always. No matter what the weather or the circumstances. Sirius gulped, "Bloody hell." He hadn't realized that Sasha could look even more gorgeous than she already was- when her hair was pulled back, it accented her cheekbones and revealed her beautiful, usually hidden eyes.

Glaring at everyone staring at her, Sasha's eyes finally landed on James and Frank, and she marched over to them furiously, her clenched fists shaking with anger. "Where are they?" She hissed angrily once she reached them, poking their chests with her index finger.

"Where are who?" James played dumb.

"You know exactly who I'm talking about! Lily and Alice! Oh, when I get my hands on them-" She suddenly stopped, seeing a tendril of red hair behind James' back. Smirking triumphantly, she grabbed James and Frank by their ties and pulled them up with ease, revealing her two very scared best friends.

"Please don't kill us!" Lily begged, her voice much higher pitched than usual, her green eyes wide and pleading.

"We couldn't resist!" Alice spoke up, trembling. "We're sorry, but we just wanted to see how it would look!"

"Calm down, Sasha," Mary's quiet, soothing voice broke in suddenly. Sasha whirled around to see her sitting on a large armchair with Remus. "They didn't do any harm."

"Didn't. Do. Any. _Harm_?" Sasha repeated incredulously. "DIDN'T DO ANY HARM? _THEY PUT MY HAIR IN A PONYTAIL, POM-POM! _AFTER I'VE TOLD THEM _THOUSANDS_ OF TIMES, AND I DO MEAN THOUSANDS, THAT _I DO NOT LIKE PUTTING MY HAIR IN A PONYTAIL_! AND DO YOU KNOW WHAT'S WORSE? _IT WON'T COME OUT!_" She whipped around again to face the cowering Lily and Alice, and ground out, "Care to explain _why _this Goddamn braid isn't coming out?"

"W-well, you see," Alice stammered, uncommonly pale, "I, er, found this 24-hour, um, Sticking Charm in the glossary of or Charms textbook, and we, erm, sorta… put it on the ponytail holder," she finished barely comprehensibly. However, Sasha still heard her.

"YOU DID _WHAT_?" She roared, and everyone in the common room besides Remus, Mary, James, Sirius, Lily, Frank and Alice took this as their cue to exit (quite a smart move, on their part).

"We're sorry, Sasha!" Lily wailed fearfully. "We promise we won't do it again!" She was clearly frightened out of her wits; for good reason. Sasha's eyes were alight with anger, her cheeks were flushed, and her fists were clenched at her sides. Not to mention she was Gryffindor's descendant, which made the odds that anyone would win a fight against her extremely low.

"Chill out, Sister," Remus said. "It looks good on you anyways."

As Sasha turned around to face him, her braid swung out like a whip, and Lily and Alice barely avoided it. "_Exactly_! _I _hate my hair this way; but everyone else loves it! Which means that for the rest of my life, everyone's going to nag me to keep my hair like this! I _hate _nagging!"

"Just hex them," Sirius suggested casually. "Then they'll leave you alone."

"I don't want people to be scared of me, though!" Sasha yelled.

"Then just tell them to bugger off, and warn them that if they don't, then you'll hex them. If they don't believe you, it's their own fault," James remarked. Sasha, however, seemed not to hear him, and was facing Lily and Alice again.

Staring at her two friends for a few minutes, her eyes softened, and she grumbled, "Fine, I forgive you." The redhead and the blond sighed with relief, but then Sasha continued, "Now do the counter-curse."

Alice and Lily laughed shakily, eyes darting everywhere but at Sasha. "Well, you see," Lily started after a long pause, "that's, erm, a real funny story…"

"You don't know the counter-curse, _do _you?"

"Actually, heh heh, that's a funny story, too… it turns out that there _isn't _one- RUN, ALICE!" With that, Alice and Lily dashed out of the portrait hole to avoid Sasha's murderous wrath.

"I'm gonna fucking murder them," she muttered heatedly, but Frank and James stepped forward and pushed her down onto the couch.

"No you're not," Frank stated firmly.

"You're not gonna hurt our girlfriends," James followed.

Sasha stared up at them for a moment in disbelief before asking, "Since when did you take me seriously when I said stuff like that?" No one answered her, refusing to look her in the eye, and she automatically knew the answer. "I _knew _it. I knew that knowing about me being the Heir of Gryffindor would change how you all thought about me," she muttered, blinking back tears and rushing out of the common room.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"I feel awful," James mumbled dejectedly, collapsed on the couch. His usually bright hazel eyes were dull. "This is all my fault." It had been over an hour, and none of them had been able to find Sasha.

"It's not your fault," Lily assured him, kissing him softly on the cheek. "You were defending me, like any good boyfriend should- Sasha just took it the wrong way."

"Not necessarily," James admitted, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly. "I mean, I don't _really _think she would ever hurt any of her friends, but now that I know she can…"

"But she wouldn't," Alice put in, sitting on the floor besides Frank, whose arm was around her. "You said it yourself. Just because she can, doesn't mean she will."

"We know that," Frank interjected. "Still, she was _so angry_!"

"If it's anyone's fault, it's ours," Alice sighed, putting her head on her boyfriend's shoulder. "We shouldn't have braided her hair and put the Sticking Charm on it while she was asleep."

"You're right, you shouldn't have," Remus snapped unexpectedly. "If you hadn't, then we'd know where she was right now!"

"Remus!" Mary gasped, shocked at her boyfriend's insulting words. "They didn't mean to do anything wrong!"

The werewolf took a deep breath and spoke, "I know- sorry. I'm just… not feeling all that well today." It was true; that night was a full moon, which always made him more irritable.

"Are you okay?" Mary asked him, instantly concerned. "You _are _looking a bit peaky; more than a bit, actually."

"It's nothing, Mary. I just need some air," Remus said, standing up and walking out of the common room. After a moment of debating with herself, Mary followed him.

"…Am I the only one who's noticed that Remus gets sick once a month?" Delilah mused abruptly. "It's rather odd, really."

Sirius laughed nervously. "You must be imagining things, McPhee. Remus just gets colds a lot, poor chap."

"You're lying," Alice accused sharply. "Delilah's right, now that I think about it; he _does _get sick once a month. I wonder why?"

"Well, he's not a girl, so it could only mean…" Lily trailed off, silently asking James if her suspicion was true; after sharing a silent look with his friends, he nodded, and she gasped in horror. "Oh, no, poor Remus!"

"Why? What's wrong with him?" Delilah questioned.

"Can I tell them?" Lily asked the boys in an undertone. They began shaking their heads, but she persisted, "Please! They won't tell; Remus is their friend!"

"But Remus-"

"Peter, they'll find out eventually anyways!" Lily cut off the short boy, who had just recently woken up and come down. "Please, can I tell them?"

The Marauders exchanged a long look, with silent words clearly communicated in a way that only good, longtime friends or siblings could do. Finally, James sighed and told his girlfriend, "Not until Mary finds out, at least."

"Mary doesn't _know _yet?"

"You have to think about it from Remus' point of view, Lily," Sirius started. "The whole Wizarding World views werewolves as monsters; he's afraid if Mary finds out that _he's _a werewolf, she'll dump him."

"Whoa, hold up a second- Remus is a _werewolf_?" Frank's eyes were huge and disbelieving; he had obviously been eavesdropping on the conversation. His roommates slapped their foreheads in unison.

"Well… yeah," Peter admitted slightly sheepishly. "Don't tell though!"

"I wouldn't dream of it!" Frank said quickly. "It doesn't change anything about him. But still… wow. I definitely did _not _see that one coming."

"Didn't see _what _coming?" Alice asked, walking over to join the conversation. Delilah followed her. "We were lonesome, so we're going to join the conversation now. So, Frank, what didn't you see coming?"

"Oh, you'll find out soon enough," Lily replied gravely. "You'll find out soon enough."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Remus! _Remus! _REMUS!" Mary called, running after her boyfriend. She put on an extra burst of speed, caught up to him, and grabbed his hand. He stopped and turned around to face her.

"_What_, Mary?" he asked, sounding a mixture of annoyance and exhaustion.

"There's something you're not telling me," Mary stated.

"That's not true, Mary, you know I tell you eve-"

"Don't lie to me," Mary snapped, something which she rarely did. "I can tell when you're lying, Remus- you're bloody _awful _at it. Please, just tell me- what are you keeping from me?"

Remus debated with himself for a moment before sighing, "I- I can't tell you. I'm sorry, Mary."

Mary took a step away from him. "Remus, you're supposed to be able to tell me anything. Why can't you tell me?"

"You wouldn't understand. Besides- it would change the way you think about me."

After a moment, Mary mused, "You know, you're sounding sort of like Sasha. With her whole, 'Gydion-Gryffindor-is-my-ancestor-I'm-so-dangerous-it's-not-safe-for-you-to-know' thing."

"But, Mary… I _am _dangerous. And unlike Sasha, I can't control it," Remus spoke, shaking his head. "If you were around me at the wrong time… I could kill you, Mary, and I wouldn't even be able to stop myself. Or even worse, I could turn you into… what I am."

The couple was silent. They were alone in the corridor, thankfully; neither particularly wanted anyone to eavesdrop on them. Finally, Mary murmured just loudly enough for Remus to hear, "What do you mean? Remus, what are you?"

Remus knew it was time to tell his girlfriend the truth. There was no point avoiding it any longer. He didn't want to- but he had to sooner or later. "I'm a werewolf."

Mary gasped, her hand flying to cover her mouth in shock. She was struck speechless; how could her handsome, kind, smart boyfriend possibly be a _werewolf_? Not that there was anything wrong with it- after all, it was only once a month, the rest of the time, he was still her loving boyfriend- but still…

Unfortunately, Remus mistook her silence for fear and disgust, like so many other people who knew what he was. "I get it- you don't want to be with me anymore," he spat bitterly, not looking Mary in the eye. He didn't want her to see his tears. "It's- It's fine. I'm used to people thinking I'm a monster by now anyways." He strode away, not waiting to let Mary contradict him.

"What?" Mary exclaimed, so quietly that Remus couldn't hear her. He was already down the hall, anyways; so, she presumed, he probably wouldn't have heard her even if she hadn't whispered.

But… was that it? Was he really just going to assume that she thought something, and not let her tell him otherwise?

"No…" The quiet Gryffindor breathed, sinking to her knees, tears falling freely from her eyes. Her relationship with Remus had been perfect- how had it suddenly gone so _wrong_?

Suddenly, a beautiful black-and-red wolf approached Mary from out of nowhere, its shaggy tail in a French braid. Somehow, she knew the wolf was a friend, and hugged the wolf as she cried.

_**Well, that was my pathetic attempt at writing a Quidditch scene! And PLEASE don't throw things at me for the whole Remus/Mary thing! I needed SOME complication in here! Don't worry, it WILL be resolved!**_

**_Thank you all SO much for all the response to the last few chapters; you guys are the best! _**

**_Please review, and thanks for reading!_**

**_-Joelle8_**


	45. In Which Patronuses are Discovered

In Which Patronuses are Discovered

"Okay, class," began Professor Jenkins, the newly appointed Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher at Hogwarts, looking around at her class of Seventh Year Gryffindors (most of whom were slouching, laughing at each other) and Ravenclaws (most of whom were sitting up attentively, quills in hand, more than ready to take notes). "Put your quills and parchment away, we won't be using them today." This was met by rowdy cheers from the freshly excited students. Professor Jenkins smiled around at the teenagers and went on, "Today, we're going to be learning how to cast the Patronus Charm. Now, I'm warning you, this is fairly advanced magic, but I'm confident that brilliant students like yourselves will be more than capable to achieve it!"

Sasha rolled her eyes at her seat as the new professor droned on and on about how to cast a Patronus. Why did she have to listen to this when Professor Dumbledore had taught her how to cast a Patronus in First Year? Oh, right- because she wasn't allowed to _tell _anyone that. Damn.

"Now, repeat after me- Expecto Patronum!" Professor Jenkins said.

"Expecto Patronum!"

"Excellent, excellent! Now, start practicing- and if you make any progress, call me over!"

The class went to work. Sighing under her breath, Sasha stood up and pulled her wand- as unnecessary as it was- out of her pocket. She quickly thought of her happiest memory (when she was four years old and she and her daddy had made chocolate chip cookies together, ending in what she called The Great Cookie Batter Fight of 1963) and none too quietly proclaimed, "Expecto Patronum!" Unsurprisingly (to her, at least) a brilliant white wolf shot out of her wand, growling at her surrounding classmates. They stared at it in shock and awe, and Professor Jenkins dropped her wand in alarm.

"Goodness gracious!" She exclaimed. "Miss Berg! Never, in all my years of teaching, has a student grasped the concept of the Patronus Charm so quickly! Well done, well done! Ten points for Gryffindor!" Sasha merely smiled in response, pretending she enjoyed the attention.

"How'd you do that, Sasha?" Randy asked irritably from beside his girlfriend- he hadn't been able to make anything at all come out of his wand yet. "Expecto Patronum! _Expecto Patronum_, damn it!"

"What's your memory?" Sasha questioned, making sure that her voice was low and soothing, knowing the strength of the memory was usually the root of all problems with this spell. And that when people were pissed off, it was best to watch your tone with them.

"My first day at Hogwarts."

"Well, that's not _nearly _good enough!" Sasha remarked with a little chuckle. "Going to Hogwarts is exciting, of course, but you also have to leave your parents and your home and your friends from your hometown, so there's certainly an element of sadness to it as well. Your memory has to be_ completely_ happy. Pick another memory, and try again."

Randy thought for a moment, and then declared, "Expecto Patronum!" This time, a wisp of white smoke came out.

"Good job!" Sasha grinned at him. "Keep trying!" _Holy shit, I sound just like a teacher, _she realized with a horrified shudder.

"Expecto Patronum!" James shouted from the other end of the room, and a noble white stag leaped out of his wand. He grinned; he had always been a natural at Defense Against the Dark Arts, something which he was quite proud of.

"No surprise, eh, Prongs?" Sirius laughed, winking at their own inside joke. Peter joined in, and Remus did half-heartedly; in this week since he had broken up with Mary, he had withdrawn within himself. Mary, too, had been even quieter than usual, and her eyes were often red, as if she had been crying.

As Sasha looked around the room, she realized that quite a few people had conjured their Patronuses. William Chang had a graceful swan gliding through the air around him, though he looked at tad embarrassed; Dexter and Delilah were having a heated snogging session on the table, unnoticed by the teacher, their two wildcat Patronuses sitting contentedly next to each other; Frank had his arms wrapped around Alice as their canaries fluttered cheerily around them; and Randy, it seemed, had just conjured his Patronus, which took the form of a small garter snake.

"Nice job, Randy!" Sasha complimented, though she was a bit surprised at the form her boyfriend's Patronus took- weren't snakes a Slytherin animal? _Ah, well, it doesn't matter, _Sasha told herself, truthfully not believing a word of it.

Sirius, too, was eyeing Randy's Patronus- though he was doing so much more suspiciously. _Don't snakes represent cheating? _He thought to himself; he could've sworn he had heard that somewhere, and even if he hadn't, it didn't seem all that unlikely.

"Mister Black!" Professor Jenkins barked suddenly, and Sirius jumped, startled. "The rest of your class is attempting to cast a Patronus- I suggest you do the same!" Sirius sighed in annoyance (had that oblivious Professor _really _not noticed the wisps of white smoke coming out of his wand as he muttered the spell under his breath?), mustering up his best memory.

"Expecto Patronum!" Sirius yelled loudly. To his glee, a shaggy black dog leapt out of his wand and started chasing its tail, barking.

The barking of the dog caused Sasha to draw her eyes to it, and she gaped at it as she realized that _Sirius Black _was the caster of the Patronus that, supposedly, was her soul mate.

_No. No, it _can't _be, _she told herself. _It's impossible. Sirius Black is NOT my soul mate, in any way, shape or form._

She was distracted from her disturbed thoughts when Remus successfully conjured a Patronus. To his dismay, a snarling werewolf stood before him.

"V-Very good, Mister Lupin," Professor Jenkins nodded curtly, obviously alarmed by the boy's Patronus form.

James, Sirius and Peter walked over to their friend and kindly patted him on the shoulder. "It's okay, Moony," Peter smiled comfortingly. "At least you got it! I haven't been able make anything yet."

"Yeah- you're a brilliant wizard, Moony," Sirius spoke, grinning.

"You just have a furry little problem," James added.

Remus was about to thank his friends for their words of comfort when suddenly, from the other side of the classroom, he could barely make out a quiet voice say, "Expecto Patronum!" He looked in the direction of the voice, and saw- to his ill-disguised shock- that a werewolf identical to his own had jumped out of Mary's wand.

The werewolves walked to each other, their silver noses twitching with curiosity. Mary and Remus shyly followed them, both looking rather stunned, ignoring their classmates' stares.

"H-Hi," Mary stammered, blushing beet red, not looking Remus in the eye.

"Hello," Remus muttered, looking down at his shuffling feet.

The two were quiet, until Remus asked, "Why is your Patronus a werewolf?"

"Because yours is," Mary answered after a moment, bravely looking up. "Remus, I don't care what you are one night a month. It doesn't matter to me. The rest of the time, you're still Remus… and I still love you."

"You love me?"

"Y-Yes." Mary stuttered nervously before Remus gave her a soft, chaste kiss.

"Good," Remus said when they broke apart, "because I love you, too."

Both Gryffindors beamed for the first time in what seemed like months, and to their embarrassment, their Gryffindor friends began cheering loudly. The Ravenclaws grudgingly joined in, and soon, the blushing couple was the center of attention, to both of their dismays.

"Class, class, enough of that!" Professor Jenkins ordered. "Back to work!"

Reluctantly, the class obeyed, though Sasha flashed her two friends a thumbs-up first.

"Expecto Patronum!" Lily yelled from James' side, and a breathtaking silver doe strode gracefully from the tip of her wand. She gasped at it, and James hugged her from around the waist.

"I knew we were meant to be, love," he murmured in her ear as their Patronuses touched noses.

"Expecto Patronum!" Peter, to his immense joy, finally succeeded at the complicated spell, and a small rat scampered out of his wand. As unimpressive as it was, he grinned at it. "I did it! I did it!" He exclaimed, jumping up and down with joy. As the small boy was celebrating, none other than Professor Dumbledore walked in.

"Good morning, Headmaster!" Professor Jenkins smiled, hiding her surprise. "What brings you here?"

"A very good morning to yourself as well, Sarah," the Headmaster greeted. "I am here because Mister Cook has a visitor."

Randy's head shot up with surprise. "Me?" Professor Dumbledore nodded, and Randy asked, "Who's my visitor?"

His question was answered quickly when a stunning girl with long, gleaming blond hair, bright blue eyes, and porcelain skin all but flew in, squealing in an awful attempt at an English accent, "!"

"Aubrey!" Randy exclaimed in surprise as the girl stopped in front of him. "What are you doing here?"

"Beauxbatons 'ad a vacation, and I missed you!" Aubrey beamed, throwing her arms around his neck and kissing him full on the mouth. "Besides, don't you remember, I wrote to you zat I would come to veeseet soon!"

The class was shell-shocked; after all, the whole school knew that Randy was dating Sasha. Sasha's mouth formed a perfect "O" in shock, but slowly, her eyes narrowed into frightening slits, so dark from anger that they were almost black. Her mouth was pressed in a thin line and she stepped forward and tapped Aubrey on the shoulder.

"_Vhat_?" The French girl hissed, clearly aggravated at being disturbed. "I 'ave not seen my boyfriend een months!"

Sasha's smile was oozing false sweetness as she told Aubrey, "I just thought you'd like to know that your boyfriend's been cheating on you. With _me_."

Aubrey gasped, unwrapping her arms from around Randy's neck. "Randy- eez zis _true_?"

"Well, erm," Randy started, plainly fearing for his life, "…yes."

The French girl gasped, clapping her hand over her mouth just like all the Muggles did in the movies. " 'Ow _dare _you! Ve are _over_!" She cried, running out of the room, tears streaking down her face. Randy gulped, practically feeling Sasha's rage emanating from her.

"Well, I suppose I'd best escort Aubrey to Hogsmeade, so she can return to her family in France," Professor Dumbledore spoke. "Good day, all- oh, and Mister Cook, that'll be two weeks of detention, for inappropriate conduct and heartbreaking." The Headmaster, with a nod to Professor Jenkins and a sympathetic glance at Sasha, swept out of the room.

Randy nodded mutely and, knowing it was inevitable, turned around to face Sasha. Before he could even open his mouth to say something, Sasha kneed him right where it counted. He doubled over in pain as Sasha began shouting, "YOU TWO-TIMING, CHEATING BASTARD! YOU BLOODY SON OF A BITCH! WHAT THE _FUCK _WERE YOU _THINKING_? DID YOU THINK I WOULDN'T FIGURE OUT THAT YOU WERE CHEATING ON ME EVENTUALLY?"

"…Maybe?" Randy replied, his voice high-pitched and scared. Sasha's eyes flashed as she swiftly gave him a black eye. Without another word, she strutted out of the classroom- but Sirius didn't miss the tear she wiped from her eye. _I'm going to make him wish he was never born_, he vowed as Professor Dumbledore ushered Randy to the Hospital Wing and the class broke into whispers.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"BLACK!"

Sirius cringed at the return to his last name as he turned around to face a fuming Sasha. The two were in a deserted corridor not too far from the Room of Requirement; Sirius was in the middle of the corridor, while Sasha was close to the wall. Walking up to her, he asked calmly, "Yes?"

"What the _hell _did you do that for?" Sasha exclaimed angrily.

"Do what?"

"You know what you did!"

"I've done many things, Sasha. Which one are _you _talking about?"

"Oh, you know which one!"

"No, I really don't."

"Don't play dumb with me, Black! What the hell were you thinking when you beat up Randy? He was already in the Hospital Wing, for crying out loud!"

"Wait- you're mad at me for beating up the bloke who _cheated on you_?" Sirius clarified wondrously, an eyebrow cocked. Sasha didn't respond, so he continued, "What's so bad about me doing _that_?"

"You don't beat people up for no good reason, Black!" Sasha yelled, throwing up her arms in exasperation. "I thought you had _changed_, I thought you had stopped bullying people for the fun of it, but I guess I was wrong!"

"Whoa, whoa, hold up there," Sirius said. "First of all, usually I _do _have a reason for bullying people- though I prefer to call it getting revenge on them. Second, I _have _changed- if you haven't noticed, I haven't gotten one detention this year! I haven't been with one girl this year, for that matter-"

"-Oh, _that's _a laugh-"

"-Okay, maybe I _have _been with a few girls this year, but I did it to make you jealous! And I didn't beat Cook up for no good reason!"

Completely ignoring Sirius' comment about trying to make her jealous, Sasha questioned, "Oh, really? Why'd you beat him up then?"

"Because he _hurt_ you!"

Sasha was silent; clearly, she hadn't expected this response. For some reason, she could sense that there was some sort of meaning behind the words- but for the life of her, she didn't know what it was. Finally, she declared, "You're lying."

Sirius suppressed a sigh; he hadn't expected her to believe him, after all. "No, I'm not," he insisted, shaking his head.

"Yes, you are. Besides, he didn't hurt me- I'm perfectly fine." This was utterly untrue; sure, Randy had often irritated Sasha, and during the course of their short relationship she had often thought about breaking up with him, but the fact that he thought that he could _use _her hurt.

"Hypocrite," Sirius snorted, taking a step closer to Sasha.

"How am I a hypocrite?"

"_You _called _me _a liar, and then you go and lie about not being hurt!" Sirius explained, taking another step closer to Sasha; she, in turn, took another step backwards as well. "I saw you cry when you left the classroom, Sasha. I know he hurt you."

"Fine. He hurt me. Happy now?" Sasha inquired sharply, still angry. "I still don't see why that made you beat him up."

"And why is that?"

"Because you _hate _me, Black. You've hated me since First Year. Why would you beat up someone who hurt the girl you hate?"

"I don't hate you," Sirius said quietly, taking another step towards Sasha. She backed up a step and felt her back hit the cold stones of the wall. "I don't hate you at all."

"Yes you do," Sasha insisted, startled to find that she could smell his intoxicating cologne. "You always have, you always will."

Sirius shook his head slowly. "You're wrong. I don't hate you… I haven't since the summer."

Sasha stared directly into his stormy eyes and saw, to her surprise, that he was being totally honest. "…How _do _you feel about me, then?" She asked in scarcely more than a whisper.

Sirius in haled a deep breath, deciding it was now or never. He took another step closer and declared, "I love you."

"Wh-what?" Sasha breathed, alarmed, her eyes wide. Her heart was pounding fiercely, jumping with joy as much as a heart could- which she didn't understand at all, seeing as she _did not _have any sort of feelings for Sirius Black. Even if, according to their Patronuses, they were supposedly soul mates.

"You heard me," Sirius replied, stepping even closer to her. "I love you."

"N-no, you don't," Sasha stammered. "You can't go from hating someone to loving them that quickly; it's j-just not possible. Besides, I still hate you!"

"Then why have you called me Sirius for the past few weeks?"

"That's beside the point!" Sasha snapped. Sirius chuckled, taking yet another step forward. He put his arms on the wall on either side of her, trapping her in her place.

"You're in denial, love," Sirius told her. The two were now even closer to each other than they had been during that one moment at Sasha's home.

"I am _not _in denial!" Sasha contradicted, though her protest came out soft and weak.

"Are you sure about that?" Sirius asked, ever so lightly kissing her earlobe. Slowly, he gently moved his lips down her neck. Sasha felt a shiver and an electric shock go down her spine; little did she know, a gleeful Sirius had felt exactly the same thing.

Sasha was about to answer "Yes," as strongly as she could (which, at this point, was not strong at all) when Sirius suddenly crashed his lips onto hers. It was all Sasha could do to stop herself from kissing back, inwardly chanting, _I am NOT in denial, I do NOT love him_; but Sirius was persistent, and eventually, Sasha's lips moved in sync with his, almost on their own accord. Sirius moaned with pleasure as he deepened the kiss.

The kiss was hot and passionate, not at all soft and sweet like most first kisses between two people, and it sent constant electric shocks through both Sirius and Sasha.

_Bloody hell, this just might be the best moment of my life, _Sirius thought blissfully.

_I shouldn't be doing this, _Sasha was thinking. _I just broke up with Randy. He cheated on me… how do I know Sirius won't, too? He's cheated on girls before; why would I be any different?_

_BECAUSE HE LOVES YOU! _Her know-it-all Lily-voice shouted in her head.

_How do I know he wasn't lying, though? _Sasha replied internally. _He's lied to girls before; he's cheated on girls before. I wouldn't be any different… he's probably just doing this so he can say he seduced me. Hell, he probably just wants to get in my pants… but he won't. I'm _not _going to let a stupid boy break my heart._ It was with this thought she broke apart from him.

"I- I can't do this," she whispered, ducking under his arm and running to her dormitory before he had time to react, refusing to look him in the eyes.

Because she knew that if she looking him in the eyes, she wouldn't be able to go.

_**AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!**_

**_Well, I hope that satisfied all your Sirius/Sasha needs! I know it satisfied mine! PLEASE REVIEW!_**

**_Thanks for reading!_**

**_-Joelle8_**


	46. In Which the Girls Plot

In Which The Girls Plot

It had been a week. A whole week since Sirius and Sasha had kissed.

It was the worst week of both of their lives.

For Sirius, he was trying to figure out why on earth she had run. Was it something he had done? It had been going so, _so _well- sure, she had been rather unresponsive at first, but once she had gotten going… Merlin, it sent a shiver up Sirius' spine just thinking about it. He had no clue what he should do- should he confront her about it? Leave her alone and let her think about things? Corner her and snog the daylights out of her without giving her time to protest? It was times like these where he needed his friends' surprisingly good advice, but he knew that Sasha would never forgive him if he told anyone about what they did.

Sasha, on the other hand, was trying to sift through her conflicting emotions. Her head was telling her to never talk to Sirius again- well, except for her Lily-voice, who scolded her every second it got for running. But her heart was sending a completely different message. It skipped a beat each time Sirius came within a ten-yard radius of her, pounded whenever she heard his name mentioned. She had no idea what was going on- for seven years, she had hated Sirius Black with a fierce passion. So why was she feeling this way now? _What _was she feeling?

Even worse was that Sasha had a sneaking suspicion that her friends had noticed something going on with her. For one, Sasha hadn't realized that she had a hickey, and therefore had not covered it up. So, of course, all four of her girl friends had noticed. She could tell that they looked at her out of the corner of their eyes, suspicious, trying to figure out what had happened- more importantly, who she had gotten the hickey from. What worried her was that they kept glancing at Sirius too, as if they already knew the whole story. They didn't, of course, but her friends weren't stupid; she knew they'd figure it out sooner or later.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Can you believe it's already November?" Delilah yawned, stretching in a rather cat-like way as she got out of bed. "We've already been in Hogwarts for three months!"

"_Two _months," Lily corrected, rolling her eyes. "Honestly, Delilah, learn some math!"

"Math, shmath," Delilah batted away the idea. "We're _witches_, Lily! We don't need to know math!"

"What about Arithmancy?" Alice pointed out, cheerily hopping out of bed. "That has math involved!"

"Well, I don't take Arithmancy, now do I?" Delilah arched her eyebrows.

Just as Alice was about to retort, Mary grumbled, getting out of bed, "It's too early to argue, you guys. _Especially _about _math_, of all things. What time is it?"

"Time to wake up Sasha. We have classes," Lily remarked.

"I wonder what's been going on with her," Alice commented. Her friends turned to face her questioningly, and she went on, "She's been acting real oddly for a week now. And she has that hickey, too."

"She could've gotten the hickey from Randy," Mary pointed out. "Maybe they snogged or something before they broke up that day."

Lily frowned, thinking hard. "I don't think so. Remember, she was with us that whole morning- she didn't see Randy until Defense. And she certainly wouldn't have snogged him after that."

"Good point," Delilah nodded. "You know… Black's been acting weird, too."

Her three friends instantly sat up, alert. "Oh, do tell," Alice grinned.

"From what I've noticed, he's been a lot quieter lately, like he's actually _thinking_ more, no matter how foreign that sounds," Delilah started. "And he's actually been doing work in class, too. Taking notes and such. Hell, he hasn't gotten a detention this whole week!"

"D'you think he's sick?" Mary wondered innocently.

"Has to be," Lily spoke. "That's the only way he'd be doing work and not getting detention… wait a second, I just realized something!"

"What?" Delilah, Mary and Alice asked at once.

"Black hasn't had a flavor in _weeks_!"

The four girls were struck dumb as this sunk in. Delilah found her voice first. "Yep, he's sick."

"Has to be," Mary agreed softly.

"No, he's not!" Alice exclaimed, jumping up and down in excitement. "Lily, did you notice when Black stopped having flavors this year?"

The redhead thought for a moment before her eyes widened in shock. "When Sasha started going out with Randy!"

"Holy shit!" The four girls screamed in surprise at this extremely important fact.

"It _can't _be a coincidence," Mary muttered.

"No sodding way," Delilah added.

"_Exactly_!" Alice said ecstatically. "_Don't you see_? Black must've fallen for Sasha! And then- about a week ago, I'd guess, that's when Sasha started acting weird- he and Sasha snogged and he gave her the hickey!"

"And then Sasha probably took a run for it," Lily caught on quickly, "when she realized she was snogging her supposed worst enemy! So the both of them have been thinking about it all week, trying to decide what to do!"

The four Gryffindors were silent. It made perfect sense.

"Wow," Delilah blinked after a moment, always the first to find her voice. "Have to admit, I never saw that coming."

"I did," Mary admitted quietly. She blushed when her friends turned to face her in surprise, but she continued, "The line between love and hate is pretty thin, you know. Just look at Lily and James."

"True," Lily shrugged. "Then again, I never thought I'd get together with him."

Suddenly, Alice yelped, "We need to hurry! We only have ten minutes to eat breakfast!"

In an instant, Sasha was awoken, rushed to dress, and the girls hurried down to the Great Hall with seven minutes to spare.

Since James and Lily were a couple, as were Remus and Mary, the girls tended to sit with the Marauders at mealtimes, always joined by Frank. Not wanting Sasha to realize they had figured out what was going on between her and Sirius, they sat down in their usual place. Sasha, who sat across from Sirius, kept her head down for most of breakfast, and avoided looking at him at all costs while she ate. The girls couldn't help notice that Sirius did pretty much the same thing, except once or twice he glanced at Sasha, his grey eyes unreadable.

Mary, Delilah, Alice and Lily shared a look, silently deciding that they needed to get Sasha and Sirius to make up somehow- or talk to each other, at the very least.

Knowing that they would need the boys' help with the idea they had in mind, Lily nudged James from under the table. He turned to face her immediately, and Lily whispered in his ear, "During free period, meet me and the girls in the common room with Remus, Peter, and Frank. NOT Sirius." At her boyfriend's questioning glance, she added, "I'll tell you later."

James still looked confused, but he nodded his compliance. Lily smiled around at her friends, signaling that their plan was a go.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"So, what's this about?" Frank asked, seating himself next to Alice in a corner of the Gryffindor common room where the group was least likely to be overheard.

"Why can't Sasha or Sirius come?" Remus questioned. He had a feeling he knew why, but he wanted to be sure, just in case.

Delilah spoke first. "You guys have noticed that both of them have been acting weirdly all week, right?" The boys nodded, and she continued, "Well, we think it's because of each other."

Alice took over. "Don't get angry- especially you, Remus- but Sasha has a hickey." Remus and James clenched their fists, and Remus growled under his breath; both of their girlfriends went over to them to try to calm them while Alice pressed on. "We- as in, us girls- have been thinking about it, and we've decided that Sirius gave Sasha that hickey, and ever since then, they've both been thinking about what to do about each other and their apparent newfound feelings for each other. Hence their acting weirdly."

Lily put in, "We want to get Sasha and Black to make up- or at least to talk to each other. But we need all of your help to do that."

The boys exchanged a look, communicating silently. Finally Peter squeaked, "We're in. What exactly do you have in mind?"

The girls grinned evilly, a mischievous glint in their eyes. "Oh, you'll see," Delilah assured them, smirking. "You'll see."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"DELILAH ELIZABETH MCPHEE, I AM GOING TO BLOODY MURDER YOU IN YOUR SLEEP! OR OUT OF IT!" Sasha shouted, banging on the locked broom closet door. Usually- even without her wand, which Delilah had snatched from her when she had pushed her in- she could open doors magically if they were locked, but this particular closet didn't have a lock. Instead, it was sealed shut with some sort of spell Sasha hadn't heard of, and she couldn't help thinking that Dumbledore was involved in this- for whatever reason.

It was when nobody answered Sasha and she was left in complete silence that she heard the slow, quiet breathing of someone in the broom closet with her. _Please not him, please not him, _she prayed inwardly, turning around.

None other than Sirius Black stood there, daringly looking straight into Sasha's eyes. She cursed inwardly. _Shit. Shit, damn, fuck._

Sirius took a few deep breaths, just staring at Sasha. She seemed to be even more beautiful to him, but there was an amount of fear in her eyes that unsettled Sirius- what did she have to be afraid of? Of course, she could be afraid of the same thing as him: talking about their kiss. That was probably it. Seeing that Sasha seemed to have no inclination to speak, Sirius swallowed his fear and, as confidently as he could, said, "Hello, Sasha."

Sasha gulped. "Hello," she replied, much weaker than she would've liked. She couldn't help but notice how small this closet was, how close together she and Sirius were as a result; it unnerved her.

"So… I take it one of your friends shoved you in here, too?" Sirius asked, the corners of his mouth turned up in an inviting, laughing way.

"Yeah," Sasha laughed shakily, hating herself for being so unsettled by a mere boy. "Delilah, specifically, though I'm pretty sure the others were in on it. What about you?"

"James."

"I figured."

The two were silent again. Finally, Sasha spoke shakily, "So, why do you think they trapped us in here with each other?"

"They probably noticed we were acting… differently than usually, for lack of a better term," Sirius shrugged. Sasha shifted from foot to foot and Sirius frowned, concernedly, "Are you alright, Sasha?"

Suddenly, Sasha remembered the three little words Sirius had said to her a week ago: "I love you". She was abruptly not alright, not alright at all, but she still responded, "Of course," with fake cheer.

"Good," Sirius said slowly, not believing her one bit. He had a feeling he couldn't be any help, though, so he didn't pursue the matter any further. Instead, he changed the subject. "So… what do you think we need to do to get out of here?"

"No clue," Sasha admitted. "I haven't seen this spell before; personally, I think Dumbledore's plotting against us or something."

_Or maybe he's plotting _for _us, _Sirius thought. Out loud, he agreed, "Maybe- who knows. It could just be one of those complicated spells Lily and Remus are always finding in the library."

"True," Sasha conceded. Suddenly, a familiar pair of footsteps passed the door, and Sasha banged on it. "REMUS JOHN LUPIN!"

The footsteps stopped and Sasha and Sirius could practically hear his smirk as he replied, "Hello, Sasha, Sirius."

"What do we need to do to get out of here?" Sirius asked loudly.

"Sort out your problems," the werewolf answered. "When you do, the door will open by itself."

"OPEN THIS DOOR!" Sasha roared, and Sirius covered his ears, pitying his eardrums.

"Sorry, Sister, no can do. Not until you two make up," Remus responded, his amused smirk still evident on his face. _They'll be stuck in there all day_, he thought as he walked away, almost feeling merry enough to hum a merry little tune.

Sasha groaned. "Stupid werewolf," she muttered stonily. Turning to Sirius, she sighed, "Well, we're supposed to sort out our problems, so… let's get talking, I guess."

"Okay," Sirius agreed, sure he was blushing in slight embarrassment. "So, erm… a week ago…" he trailed off, not sure of what to say.

Sasha bit her lip before stating, "Listen, I think that we should just… pretend it never happened."

Sirius looked straight into Sasha eyes before coolly saying, "No."

"It would be simpler that way!" Sasha insisted. "We could go back to hating each other- everything would go back to normal."

"Maybe I don't _want _everything to go back to normal," Sirius said, stepping closer to her. He heard her breath hitch in her throat as he continued, "Maybe I don't _want_ to go back to us hating each other."

"Well, maybe _I do_," Sasha told him defiantly, hating herself for not being able to look him in the eye when she said that.

Sirius cocked his head to the side, unexpectedly smiling amusedly, before asking, "You're still in denial, aren't you?"

"I am _not _in denial!" Sasha protested stubbornly, more to assure herself than to tell him. "And I never was, either!"

"Oh, really? Then why'd you kiss me back last week?" Sirius took another step closer to her, and Sasha felt herself backed up against the wall. This was turning into too much like last week for her liking.

"I- I was upset about R-Randy," Sasha stammered. "I needed to… to release tension, and… you were there. I don't know why _you _kissed _me_, though."

"Yes you do," Sirius contradicted, gingerly tucking a strand of curly hair behind her ear. "I told you."

"I- I don't remember you telling me anything," Sasha lied, knowing exactly what he was referring to.

Sirius lightly ran his fingers along her cheek, a shiver going up both of their spines. "I still love you, Sasha," he murmured softly, his words laced with tenderness.

Sasha was perfectly still. Looking deep into his eyes, it was impossible to tell herself that he didn't mean it- nobody was that good of an actor. Still, she didn't feel the same way. She couldn't- could she? No, of course not. Besides, whether he loved her or not, he'd still probably dump her in a week- old habits are hard to break.

"I-I'm sorry," Sasha said quietly. "I- I don't feel the same way."

Sirius knew, beyond doubt, that she was lying- even if she didn't know it herself. "You're still in denial," he sighed.

"No, I'm _not_!" Sasha insisted. _I'm not in denial, I'm not in denial, I'm NOT in denial! _She repeated to herself.

_Yes you are, yes you are, yes you are, _her Lily-voice contradicted in a sing-song way.

_Shut up! _

"I didn't say anything," Sirius spoke, sounding slightly confused. Sasha cursed inwardly when she realized she must have said that aloud.

"I was talking to the voice inside my head, not you," Sasha told him hurriedly.

"Oh, yeah," Sirius smiled. "Haven't we talked about the voices inside our heads before? And how annoying they are?"

Sasha thought back, remembered that conversation, and smiled as well. "I remember that," she laughed.

Sirius laughed with her for a minute before trailing off, just staring at the girl in front of him. Sasha raised an eyebrow at him, and he said, "You're beautiful, you know that?"

To Sasha's horror, she felt a blush creeping up her cheeks. "Not really," she disagreed modestly.

Sirius chuckled. "You don't even realize how great you are, do you?" When Sasha didn't respond, he went on, "For one thing, you're absolutely gorgeous. The most beautiful girl in this school, actually- without a doubt. You're also the smartest, no matter how bookish Lily and Mary may be, or any of the Ravenclaws. You beat all of them. You're incredibly kind to everyone you meet unless they do something to upset you- in which case, they deserve whatever you do to them, myself included. You'd do anything for your friends- and if anyone ever needed your help with anything, you'd help them without a doubt."

Sasha felt her blush growing on her cheeks as she shook her head, "You make me sound like I'm some sort of angel."

Sirius chuckled. "I know you're not an angel, Sasha. You're stubborn and bad-tempered. You don't forgive people easily and you do whatever it takes to get revenge. You can't sing for the life of you, and you're much too loud and anything but ladylike. When someone gets on your bad side, you'll make their life miserable- I'd know."

"I know I have all those flaws," Sasha informed him.

"Exactly," Sirius said, cupping his hand around Sasha's cheek. "You know you have flaws. You don't try to hide them, and you aren't ashamed of them. They're part of what makes you perfect."

"I'm not perfect," Sasha declared, looking up into his stormy grey eyes, full of compassion and hope.

"You are to me," Sirius said, leaning down and kissing her before she could say anything else. This kiss, unlike the last one, was soft and sweet, yet full of emotion. Also unlike the last one, Sasha kissed back almost immediately.

_Do you STILL think you're not in denial? _the Lily-voice asked smugly as Sasha deepened the kiss.

_I'm not in denial, _Sasha thought slowly. _I know I'm in love with him- crazy as it may sound._

_Love _is _crazy, Sasha, _the Lily-voice sighed happily.

The two Gryffindors broke apart, looking into each other's eyes, both of them brimming with joy and love.

"Are you still in denial?" Sirius asked, smirking.

"Funny, the annoying voice inside my head just asked me the same thing," Sasha remarked.

"Oh? And what did you tell it?"

"That I'm not in denial," Sasha smiled. "I've realized I love you, too."

Sirius' grin was bigger and brighter than the sun to Sasha as she leaned forward and kissed him. They heard the click of the door opening, but they had no longer had a desire to go anywhere.

_**They're finally together! ! God, those two are idiots! I love 'em, though! :D **_

**_Well, this is almost it! Next is the epilogue; the very last chapter of this story! Geez, it makes me want to cry!_**

**_PLEASE review! Thanks for reading!_**

**_-Joelle8_**


	47. Epilogue

Epilogue

Sasha weaved in and out of the Death Eaters' legs in her wolf form. It was the middle of one of the many battles fought by the Order of the Phoenix, and nineteen-year-old Sasha's current job was to distract the Death Eaters so her companions could catch them unguarded.

"What the fuck?" She heard a Death Eater curse with her enhanced wolf hearing as she darted between her legs. She then heard that same Death Eater hit the ground with a thud, no doubt the victim of one of fine-months-pregnant Alice's superb nonverbal stunning spells.

Lily smiled at Sasha as the latter ran passed the five-months-pregnant (coincidence much?) redhead, and Sasha smiled back as much as a wolf could. Her friends had known about her being an Animagus since the end of Seventh Year; they had discovered that James, Sirius and Peter were Animagi on the same day, in fact.

_"Okay, boys, what is it you want to show us?" Alice asked, her arms crossed impatiently. She, along with Frank, Lily, Sasha, Delilah and Mary, were in the Forbidden Forest with the Marauders. It was clear that this unsettled her, understandably enough._

_"Well, just- promise you won't freak out, okay?" Peter squeaked nervously. "We did it for a good reason, we really did!"_

_"You did _what _for a good reason?" Lily asked, eyebrows raised._

_James, Sirius and Peter exchanged a long look, and then in the blink of an eye, where James stood was a sleek chocolate stag, Sirius had been replaced by a big, shaggy black dog, and in Peter's place a rat shivered, glancing fearfully every which way. Frank and the girls' jaws dropped._

_"You're Animagi!" Delilah exclaimed wondrously, her voice thick with glee._

_"…You did it illegally, didn't you?" Lily frowned at them disapprovingly. "You utter idiots, you _broke the law_! Do you even _realize _what could happen? You could get expelled, or your wand could get snapped in half, or-"_

_"Lily, they did it for me," Remus interrupted her abruptly, and the redhead stopped speaking mid sentence, her mouth still open. Realizing this, she closed it abruptly "Don't get mad at them. It's impossible for animals to turn into werewolves, and they just wanted to help me during the full moons, to make those nights easier on me, so they became Animagi to give me company those nights." Mary wordlessly hugged her boyfriend as soon as he stopped speaking, and he buried his face in her hair._

_"Wow- that's actually… very noble," Alice spoke, blinking rapidly as she comprehended this new information._

_"That's so cool!" Frank grinned. Somehow, he wasn't all that surprised. If he had to guess that any of the people in his Year were to become Animagi, he would've guessed his roommates. "How did you become Animagi?"_

_James turned back into a human and answered, "It took about three years. We found out about Remus' furry little problem in Second Year and finally mastered the transformations in Fifth Year. So, Lily…" he paused, nervously sucking in his breath as he looked over at his girlfriend, "are you mad at me?"_

_The redhead seemed slightly conflicted as she replied, "What you did was wrong, but you did it for all the right reasons. How could I possibly be mad at you?" Lily smiled after a moment, kissing him on the cheek. "You make a very handsome stag, by the way." James puffed out his chest in pride, and Lily giggled._

_Sirius transformed out of his dog form and faced Sasha. Unlike James, he wasn't worried at all that the girl he loved would disapprove of him being an Animagus. After all, Sasha herself was an Animagus as well. "So, what do you think?"_

_"I think that you're better looking as a dog than you are as a person," Sasha chuckled playfully, her eyes glinting in amusement._

_"Ah, but when I'm a dog, I can't do this," Sirius said and swept Sasha into a passionate kiss._

_"Oi! Get a room!" Frank barked, one hand over his eyes, the other one over Alice's, who giggled at her boyfriend's protectiveness._

_Sasha broke apart and yelled at him, "Hypocrite!"_

_"Am not!"_

_"Yes, you are, Frank," Delilah piped in, laughing. "You and Alice spend half your time snogging these days! And only Merlin knows what you do when you two disappear up in your dorms!"_

_He blushed. "We do not-"_

_"Yes you do!" His fellow Gryffindors chimed in simultaneously, and then burst out laughing._

_As she laughed, Sasha wondered whether now would be a good time to tell her friends that she, too, was an Animagus. After a few minutes of silent deliberation, she made her decision and she shouted over her friends' laughter, "Attention, please! Attention!"_

_Her friends turned to face her, their laughter quieting. Clearing her throat, Sasha began, in an unusually tentative manner for her, "You know how Dumbledore taught me how to do certain things? 'Cause I'm Gryffindor's Heir and all?"_

_"Yeah. Why?" Mary inquired softly, her curiosity peaked. She was so curious, in fact, that she even lifted her head off of Remus' shoulder. Often, she found herself ridiculously happy to have found someone whose shoulder she could rest her head on, instead of the other way around._

_"Well… this is one of them." With that, Sasha closed her eyes and transformed into her wolf form. In her new black-and-white vision, she could see her friends' jaws drop and eyes widen in shock._

_"Bloody hell!" Peter squeaked, having immediately returned to being a human upon seeing Sasha's wolf form. Rats weren't known for being brave, after all. Especially in the face of animals with bigger teeth, sharper reflexes, and pointy claws._

_"…So _this _is why you always told me you could help me with my furry little problem!" Remus realized suddenly, his eyes crinkled with amusement and happiness. Sasha nodded in confirmation when she suddenly felt a wet nose nuzzle her side. Turning around, she saw her boyfriend- in his dog form, of course. She nuzzled him back, smiling as much as a wolf could._

_"Aw, they're so cute!" Alice gushed, positively beaming. Seeing all of her friends so happy just made her so… happy! _

_"Hey, aren't wolf Animagus forms really rare?" Lily suddenly spoke to no one in particular._

_"Yeah," Delilah nodded. "They are only one, sometimes two, at a time in the world. Or so I've read, at least."_

_"Wow- nice, Sasha," James complimented, sounding impressed. He was the only person in the group who wasn't in shock that Delilah had read._

_Deciding that she wanted to speak to her companions, rather than howl, Sasha turned back into a human. "What can I say? I'm unique," she grinned at James._

_"Yes, you are," Sirius whispered in her ear, having turned back into a human as well, his arms wrapping around her from behind. "Hey… want to go for a run? As animals, I mean?"_

_"Sure," Sasha replied. Before their friends could protest, they were padding along through the forest, ignoring all of the laughing, slightly exasperated calls for them to come back._

The memory made Sasha smile. Without a doubt, it was one of her happiest- she had even used it to conjure a Patronus recently. Even now, she still found it remarkable that her friends were so understanding- she really had amazing friends.

She sensed a curse flying towards her, and quickly conjured a shield charm that made a bubble-like shape around her wolf body. The curse bounced off of the invisible shield and hit the unsuspecting Death Eater who had cast it straight in the eye. He fell, crying out in pain. Sasha's eyes narrowed at him, but kept running; to her satisfaction, she saw Sirius cast a successful nonverbal spell at that same Death Eater, who now hung in the air by his ankle, his pink underwear revealed for all to see.

Suddenly, from out of nowhere, a new figure appeared in the midst of the battle. He was clothed the same way as all of the other Death Eaters: long black robes, silver masks. Perhaps that was why nobody noticed his arrival but Sasha, whose wolf eyes darted over to him as she ran. Due to his mask, she couldn't recognize him; nevertheless, she had the strangest feeling that she knew him somehow. For whatever reason, he just seemed so, so _familiar_…

_I'll use Legilimency on him, _Sasha decided abruptly. _Maybe his thoughts will give me a clue about who he is. I recognize him- I don't know how, or where from, but I recognize him…_

While she continued to dash around the Death Eaters, she focused her mind completely on the newest Death Eater. She saw him looking around, assessing the situation and who was the biggest threat. His mind focused on James and Sirius, who had some Death Eaters hanging in the air by their ankles; then on Lily, and then on her protruding stomach; next on Alice, who had already taken out numerous Death Eaters, and her stomach as well, and Frank, who was guarding her back; then on the seven-months-pregnant Delilah, whose glare was as frightening as they came as she shot down Death Eaters one by one; finally on Remus, who was showing his skill in Defense Against the Dark Arts through his swift stunning, and on Mary, who was exhibiting that studying most definitely paid off in the real world. The quiet girl had, in fact, been the most successful so far in beating up Death Eaters, and this new arrival seemed to take notice of that.

The new Death Eater still seemed to be looking for something, someone, and Sasha was just wishing that she knew who when the man thought, _The Dark Lord said she would be here… I have to find her. I have to finish what I started. I don't want to be tortured again. So much pain…_

All of the sudden, the Death Eater whipped out his wand and stunned a member of the Order; Sasha couldn't tell who, at this point. This action drew several eyes to the man, by the Order members especially, and they regarded him with new fear.

"Sister! Get away from him!" Remus barked, concerned for his friend's safety as he successfully blocked a purple curse. Sasha inwardly thanked Merlin that the werewolf had been smart enough not to use her name; that chances that one of the Death Eaters knew about her heritage were too high. Deciding that she would rather not worry her almost-brother, Sasha went back to distracting the Death Eaters.

Abruptly, Sasha heard Dumbledore's voice order in her head, _You may turn human again. Fight. We need your skills. _Following her former Headmaster's command, Sasha transformed into her human self again, her long hair whipping around her.

Waving her wand around her, Sasha sent whatever curses she could think of to the surrounding Death Eaters. Some found fireballs chasing them; some were turned to stone; some fell to the ground, paralyzed. She smirked triumphantly at her success.

"What are you doing?" Sirius yelled at her, sending a Stunning spell at a nearby Death Eater as he ran up to his girlfriend. "You're supposed to be a wolf! It's too dangerous right now!"

"If you can fight, then I most definitely can," Sasha responded as three Death Eaters preparing to Stun her promptly fell to the ground, laughing as invisible hands tickled every inch of their bodies.

"But-"

"No buts," Sasha told him, swiftly kissing him on the lips. "I'll be fine, love."

"I love you."

"I love you, too," Sasha smiled at him. "Look out!"

Sirius whipped around and sent a Bat-Bogey Hex at an approaching Death Eater. From out of the corner of her eye, Sasha noticed the Death Eater whose mind she had journeyed into earlier fighting with everything he had, sending different skills around with noticeable skill. For some reason, his mere wand movements were familiar to Sasha as well, and this distressed her.

Sirius sensed his girlfriend's unease as she tensed. "What?" He asked, concerned. Following Sasha's line of sight, he adopted an expression of mingled relief and confusion (since when had Sasha been scared of some measly Death Eater?) and told her, "Don't worry, love- he's just another Death Eater. No big deal. You can beat him." As Sirius looked closer at the man, though, he couldn't help feeling like he had seen him somewhere once as well- vaguely.

Bellatrix Lestrange sauntered over while she shot spells at her different enemies. She caught sight of the Death Eater that Sasha found so familiar and frowned in disapproval, calling out to him, "You call that fighting? You can do better than that, I know you can, I've trained with you! _Fight_, Wilkes!"

Sasha's blood went cold. _Wilkes_… Regulus had told her that Jeremy Wilkes, five years her senior, was the one who did it. Who killed her father. Memories of her dad, alive and well, whirled through her mind, bringing tears to her eyes and anger to her heart. _I'll kill him, _she thought viciously, her grip tightening on her wand. _He killed my father… _she raised her wand and pointed it at Wilkes, trembling with anger and a thirst for revenge that had been pent up for so long…

Suddenly, a green light shot from Wilkes' wand, and time almost seemed to stop for Sasha. _No, _she thought in horror, dropping her wand hand to her side as she saw the Killing Curse dart through the air. Terror consumed her as she saw Mary's back was turned, unsuspecting. She was about to cry out in warning when the curse hit the curly-haired girl mid-back, and she collapsed to the ground in almost slow-motion. Even from her distance, Sasha could see that her eyes were wide open, glassy and forever unseeing.

"NO!" Remus cried, pure pain seeping through his words, rushing to his girlfriend's limp body and dodging several cackling Death Eaters' spells. "NO! MARY! _MARY!_" From around the field where they were fighting, Lily, Sirius, Alice, James, Delilah and Frank made similar alarmed exclamations.

For a few seconds, Sasha was frozen with shock. Finally, she broke out of it, and yelled, "NO!" Consumed by what could only be described as absolute rage, she darted through the fights, spells bouncing off of her, fire, water, earth and air whirling around her as she reached Wilkes. She fired the elements, along with every spell she knew, at him, and to her delight, saw many hit him, but some still bounced off of his strong Shield Charm, to her dismay and frustration.

"YOU KILLED HER!" Sasha screeched, still battling her hardest. "YOU MURDERED HER, YOU FUCKING BASTARD! HER _AND _MY FATHER! YOU DESERVE TO _DIE_!"

"I murdered you rather, did I? You are Sasha Berg, then, I take it? I remember you… the Dark Lord assigned me to either kill you, or convince you to join our forces," Wilkes hissed. "The offer still stands, you know. The Dark Lord wants you to be on his side; we could use your skills."

Sasha's anger grew even more- if that was possible- at this comment. "HOW STUPID DO YOU THINK I AM?" She roared. "YOU GODDAMN SON OF A BITCH, GO ROT IN HELL! _YOU KILLED THEM!_"

Calmly ignoring Sasha's fury (as far as anyone could tell), Wilkes stated, "Your powers, I see, extend far beyond that of a normal witch, Berg."

"DAMN RIGHT!" Sasha shouted. Her powers were fueled by her anger, and her spells passed straight through Wilkes' shield. His eyes widened almost imperceptibly.

"The Dark Lord wanted me to try to convince you to become a Death Eater in any way I can," he started. "Perhaps, we could bargain: you join us, or I kill another one of your friends? Who will it be, Sasha Berg? Lily Evans, the Mudblood expecting her first child? Shall I send the werewolf to be with his girlfriend? Or maybe Sirius Black, the blood traitor- I didn't miss your embrace with him, you know."

"YOU WILL _NEVER _KILL MY FRIENDS _EVER AGAIN!_" Sasha shrieked, her eyes switching to a catlike green. She rose into the air, and her companions and the Death Eaters all looked up in astonishment.

"GET BACK!" Remus screamed over the roaring winds Sasha was making just loud enough so James could hear him. "GET THE OTHERS, AND GET AWAY FROM HER!"

James didn't bother arguing, and sent the message. Soon, all of the former Gryffindors and members of the Order of the Phoenix were far away from the magnificent site that was Sasha. All but Sirius. "SIRIUS! GET BACK HERE!" James shouted to his best friend, but his efforts did nothing.

"SASHA!" Sirius called up to her. "SASHA, COME DOWN! DON'T DO THIS!" Sasha was far beyond hearing him, but he continued, "IT'S NOT SAFE! PLEASE, SASHA, DON'T DO THIS!"

The ball of blowing fire grew in size around Sasha, looking close to bursting. James ran out and dragged Sirius out of the field just as Sasha, her voice somehow tripled, spoke impossibly loudly, "_YOU KILLED THEM!_" There was a flash of blinding white light, and when the former Gryffindors opened their eyes, they saw half the Death Eaters, Wilkes included, lying dead on the ground in a circle- and, in the middle of that circle, Sasha herself. As the remaining Death Eaters Apparated away, Sirius was the first to run to her. He knelt down by her side, pressing two fingers against the side of her neck, and felt a faint- but still existent- pulse.

"Sasha," Sirius breathed a sigh of relief, pressing his lips to her terribly cold, dry ones. "You're alive."

"Not for long," Sasha croaked to him, trying in vain to smile.

"No," Sirius shook his head in terror. "No, no, no. Don't say that, Sasha. You're going to be fine, you will, we've just got to get you to St. Mungo's-"

"St. Mungo's can't do anything to help me now, Sirius," Sasha gasped for breath. "I weakened myself too much. I got too angry… my powers… they went out of my control."

"No, you didn't, you _couldn't _have," Sirius insisted, grasping her frighteningly cold, pale hand.

"I'm sorry, Sirius," Sasha told him. "I love you- all of you," she said, her eyes looking around to include all of her friends, from Remus with his tear-streaked face to a bawling (for once in her life) Delilah.

"Don't go, Sasha," Sirius pleaded one last time. "Please… don't go. You can't leave me, you just _can't_, I love you!"

"I love you too, Sirius," was all Sasha said.

And then her hand went limp in his, and she was gone.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"What's his name?" A shabby looking Sirius, with dark bags under his red eyes and unwashed hair, asked a beaming James and Lily while he cradled his newborn godson in the Maternity Ward of St. Mungo's.

"Harry," James told him while smiling down at his son. "Harry James Potter."

Sirius frowned. "I certainly get the middle name, Prongs… but where'd you get the name Harry from?"

Lily's face, the face of an ecstatic new mother, suddenly grew solemn and sorrowful when she spoke, "Sasha's father w-was named Harry. She- She always wanted her father to have a namesake, so we- we figured that the best way to honor her m-memory would be to name our son after him." She sniffed, stubbornly wiping her eyes.

Sirius gulped back a sob and blinked tears away, the memory of losing the only girl he'd ever truly loved, his soul mate, still fresh in his mind. He gently grasped Harry's small hand in his own large one. The baby's eyes blinked opened, wide and blue and innocent, and he smiled. Sirius felt tears streaking down his cheeks as he slowly smiled back.

Life would go on.

_**Well, I hope you're prepared for a super long Author's Note, because here it is:**_

**_When I first wrote this story, it was simply because I thought Sirius was awesome and needed a girlfriend, and because the name "Sasha Berg" had a nice ring to it. When I published it here on Fanfiction, I never dreamed it would become this popular, or that I would get over 500 reviews and over 22,000 hits. The fact that it has still astounds me, and I am so, so, so grateful to all of you who read this story, reviewed it, Favorited it, and/or added it to your Story Alert list. Not to mention all of you who added me to your Favorite Authors or Author Alert list. :)_**

**_I was very nearly crying as I wrote this epilogue, for two reasons. The first was that I was ending this story, which I spent so much time on. The second was, of course, the deaths of Mary and Sasha. As much as I hated to do that- I loved both of them, and Mary, in fact, is based on one of my best friends- it had to happen. I wanted this story to be canon compliant, and, unfortunately, Mary and Sasha aren't involved in the Harry Potter series. Please don't throw rotten vegetables at me!_**

**_Many of you have asked me to write a sequel. While I had originally thought that this would be it- I think that the Epilogue gives it a sense of finality, personally- there is a possibility that I will write a sequel. In the sequel, all of the characters (besides Frank, Alice, and Delilah, who wouldn't be dead) would be in Heaven, waiting for the rest of the group and sorting out their drama (for example, Remus being married to Tonks, but being reunited with Mary in Heaven). I'm not sure whether I'll write this or not, but I'm just telling you all that there is a slim possibility, and to be on the lookout for it._**

**_...That's it, I guess. Thank you to all of you who supported me as I wrote this; you have no idea how much it means to me. I'm so, so, so grateful and appreciative for all of you- even if you only read and did nothing more, and even if you flamed._**

**_Again, thank you so, so, so, so, so much for sticking with me and this story._**

**_Love,_**

**_Joelle8_**


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